Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga
The wild, untamed city whose resplendent courts and multi-ethnic heritage hold sway over and give hope to an entire continent
There was once a dream that was Ruatiwanga. Carried in the hearts of the hopeful... Kept alive on the lips of God's Children... No matter his birth or upbringing, the teachings of the Six tell us that all creatures are equal in the eyes of God - We all share the same soul. We all yearn for paradise. To be free of strife. The seeds of hate shall not be so easily overcome. I shall never live to see my city completed, nor the rifts it shall mend between us. But the miracle is coming. I have felt it, all my life. These four hundred years of bloodshed shall soon end. There was once a dream that was Ruatiwanga. Paradise, on this earth. In our hubris, we have forgotten that the Heavens were made in our image - and now chase a twisted reflection of our own glory long faded and label it Paradise. The miracle is coming. And it will change everything.
Structure
Though a mere city-state, the city of Ruatiwanga has an expansive Governmental and Societal structure built upon over two thousand years of history that not only affords the city and its citizens a surprisingly high standard of living, but also engenders a sense of unity and togetherness across racial and other societal boundaries that is almost unheard of anywhere else on the continent that surrounds it(And whose politics the City-State has dominated for thousands of years). Though perhaps easy to dismiss the unnaturally well-off and tolerante nature of Ruatiwangan Citizens as a fluke or the result of "luck" allowing them stay in such an advanced city, the truth of the matter is quite the opposite - the city of Ruatiwanga is so advanced and well-regarded because its citizens are so united and progressive. For the people of Ruatiwanga, the structures that govern both their government and their day to day lives are shining monuments of progressive politics and societal progress that have been iterated upon for thousands of years.
Governmental Structure
Though the City-State of Ruatiwanga has stood for over two thousand years and has consequently seen several different forms of Government come and go(Ranging from the Council of Six Divinities that ruled when the city was founded to countless provisional governments and eventually the Suzerains who ruled by Divine Right as Theocratic Monarchs(And finally, the modern Suzerains who rule as Mortal Absolute Monarchs)), modern-day Ruatiwanga is at its core an Absolute Monarchy ruled by a singular Emperor-Esque figure known as the Suzerain - whose bloodline rules Dynastically until deposed by strife, violence, or otherwise. As a result of this, the specific arms of the Ruatiwangan Government have historically tended to change with the comings and goings of each Suzerain Dynasty and even to some degree the comings and goings of the Suzerains within that singular Dynasty - who often reshuffle Governmental Bodies and the people that staff them to suit their whims, solidfy their power bases, or otherwise.The Six Temples of Government
Yet, by the grace of the Six Sky Gods whose religions(And the singular, pseudo-monotheistic "Super-Religion" that they were born from) dominate Ruatiwangan Life, the reign of Surajj I, first of the Surajj Dynasty, has been long enough that the Governmental Structure of Ruatiwanga has been allowed to solidify and "codify" itself into Six Central "Temples" that are described below. These Temples, formed by the will of the Suzerain and staffed at his directive and the directive of his chosen ministers, help implement his orders across the City and across the vast continent over which the Suzerain's word yet holds sway - each of them being given a vast section of Ruatiwangan life to oversee and enforce and led by a Minister appointed by the Suzerain. These Six Courts dominate Ruatiwangan Government, and are each imbued with the Authority to hold court over issues pertaining to their domain that are deemed vital enough to the City or Continent as a whole.- Temple of the Open Palm: Overseen by the Minister of Trade and primarily handling matters of barter, trade, exchange rates, and all matters pertaining to the city's Economy.
- Temple of the Blooded Claw: Overseen by the Minister of War and primarily handling matters of troop training, army logistics, warfare, and all matters pertaining to the city's defense and military interests abroad.
- Temple of the Gavel: Overseen by the Minister of Justice and primarily handling matters of law, legality, crime and punishment, the training and instruction of judges, and all matters pertaining to the Suzerain's Laws, crime, and the handling of Laws and those who break them.
- Temple of the Emissary: Overseen by the Minister of Relations and primarily handling matters of Diplomacy, Political Negotiations, and all matters pertaining to Foreign Governments or City-States.
- Temple of the Laurel: Overseen by the Minister of Infrastructure and primarily handling matters of Roads, Transportation, Trade Routes, Building Codes, City Planning, and all matters pertaining to city wide and continent wide infrastructure codes laid down by the Suzerain as well ensuring all other citizens and branches of government get the resources they need in a timely and efficient manner.
- Temple of the Unity: Overseen by the Minister of Culture and primarily handling matters of Customs, Traditions, Religion, Interspecies Relations, Public Relations, helping Foreigners assimilate into Ruatiwangan Society, Public Education, and all matters pertaining to the complex cultures and beliefs that make up the citizens of Ruatiwanga and ensuring the disparate and often directly opposing beliefs and ideologies seamless integrate into Ruatiwangan Society.
The Court of the Suzerain
Though the Six Temples serve as the six governmental arms of Ruatiwangan society, no Governmental Body sits higher than the Court of the Suzerain - sometimes known as The Mayuur Court or The Peacock Court. This court, whose traditions and histories date back nearly two thousands years, is held daily in the Grand Central Hall of the Suzerain's Palace in the city of Ruatiwanga - in this massively expansive gathering hall where all six temples are sat on silken cushions in six sections around The Peacock Throne upon which rests The Suzerain himself, the affairs of not only the city of Ruatiwanga are discussed, but the affairs of an entire continent who looks to the Suzerain and his courts for guidance. Here in this court, the SIx Temples vie constantly for the favor of the Suzerain and to be awarded the right to sit in the sections closer to the Emperor - each competing relentlessly against the other in the hopes that when the Suzerain hands down his decisions regarding seating in the Court after every Sacred Cycle of Governance(An administrative measurement of time usually lasting between 3-4 Months), he will seat them closer to the gathering hall's center(A move seen as a sign of his favor). However, the Six Temples are not the only courtiers in attendance during the daily meetings of the Suzerain's Court - the most central and prestigious section in the Suzerain's court is always reserved for the City's Tiwars; Citzens of the City itself who, while unaligned to any of the Six Courts, have in some way caught the eye of the Suzerain and earned the right to sit in on his court each day and offer their opinions on matters to his ears directly(One of the highest honors a citizen can receive). These Tiwars are often entirely brought in afresh after each Sacred Cycle of Governance, though at the whim of the Suzerain some among them may be selected to serve multiple cycles consecutively - an honor higher than any other in the city of Ruatiwanga.Governance of the Vassal Territories
Though a difficult concept to convey to foreigners from lands such as The Iron Empire, the continent of Ruatiwanga(A name which was handed down incorrectly from Surveyors of The Iron Empire who misunderstood the name of the City as the name of the Continent) is not unified in any sense of the word - as a continent that has by and large yet to even fully grasp the smithing of Bronze and the formation of Kingdoms and Empires(Much less unifying into codified governments that span regions), Ruatiwanga is a land dominated by hundreds or even thousands of disparate cultures each with their own identities, villages, or city-states; each of which often loathe their neighbors for historical, religious, or cultural reasons often going by centuries. However, the continent is not completely without unity - for while the individual city-states of Ruatiwanga are each led and governed in different manners as determined by their citizens, many of them(Despite mutual hatreds) are united in their obeisance to the City-State of Ruatiwanga that has, for thousands of years, stood as a Religious and Cultural "Superstate" who has long been seen as a Neutral Third-Party Authority that can be trusted to meditate the affairs of the various city-states in a manner approaching "fair". So, while the City-States are not inherently "part" of Ruatiwanga's government or even truly "Vassalized", many of them have agreed to honor some of the cultural and religious laws laid out by the Suzerain and agree to a certain degree of Ruatiwangan interference in their own societal and governmental affairs in exchange for the prosperity brought in by Ruatiwangan Trade, the Security brought by their advanced militaries(Especially when used to attack their enemies), and the relative peace brought on by their rule. Of course, the degree to which these states truly "respect" the Suzerain's laws and the City itself has historically varied across the ages, the great miracle of the modern-day is that for the first time in the continent's history, most all cultures of the continent admire the Suzerain and respect him greatly on a personal level - meaning many are willing to do more than merely abide the "letter" of his laws if it means currying his favor, though wars and inter-city conflicts are still mostly as common as they were in centuries past. While the Government of Ruatiwanga has no direct hand in the affairs of the City-States, it has historically used its enormous navy and powerful army(Both leagues stronger than that of any other city-state on the continent) as threats both subtle and blatant to force compliance with its policies across the lands of the cultures that covet the favor of the Suzerain - with the threat of an Embargo Order the most damning weapon in the Suzerain's arsenal to force rogue Nation-States into compliance by threatening to cut them off from the highly lucrative lifeline trade networks that span the continent. In the modern-day however, thanks to the overwhelming popularity of Surajj I, these policies have been utilized few and far between in favor of the Suzerain's universal system of laws; a Program that is almost singularly responsible for his untouchable reputation across the continent. Under the Suzerain's new system of laws, each Nation-State that has agreed to abide Ruatiwanga's interests in exchange for the benefits provided in return will be staffed with two governmental figures who will each live on site in the area to ensure the local region complies with the Suzerain's Laws - these two figures, known as The Qadi and The Mültazim, are Religious Judges and Ministerial Tax Collectors respectively. Trained for years in all manner of religious law or tax policies in specially-approved academic institutions across the continent(Or even more prestigiously, in the city of Ruatiwanga itself), these twin figures are chosen such that ideally, one among them will be a native of the region they will serve in while the other will be a foreigner hailing from Ruatiwanga itself - fostering a sense of competitive unity that ensure the local area remains loyal to the Suzerain and his policies. Both are afforded the authority to train and outfit deputies, oversee the construction of temples and other institutions needed for their work, and to work alongside local rulers to ensure the policies of the Suzerain are followed - though in especially rural areas, only one of these figures may be present(Typically a Qadi), and will likely simply be a native of the area. Nonetheless, the simple fact that under Surajj I a Religious Judge and Tax Official has been placed in nearly every loyal city and village across the continent has meant that, to the people, Justice has finally become a tool of the people used for their benefit - simply witnessing the public courts of the Qadi held outside city walls or in open-air temples has done wonders for inspiring a sense of unity and respect, and convincing even the most remote villagers that a multi-day trek to nearby cities is worth it to consult with an Honorable Qadi in matters of religious and civil law that their differences may be settled lawfully and not with bloody violence.Societal Structure
Society within the City-State of Ruatiwanga is simple thing that is nonetheless difficult for outsiders to grasp - especially other natives of the Ruatiwangan Continent, who often have a very difficult time fathoming the equality and unity inherent to their social structures. Nonetheless, Ruatiwangan Society is broken down into a Caste System based primarily on the Three Spiritual Qualities believed by many Ruatiwangan Gurus to be the fundamental qualities of all life - namely Goodness, Passion, and Ignorance. Depending on which of these three qualities one embodies, they are considered to be a member of the Corresponding Caste(Detailed below) - though it is important to understand that this system considers all members equally important, and largely serves as a tool to organize people based on their tendencies, abilities, and general natures to help them best attain spiritual and physical wellbeing and eventual transcendence. It is also important to note that this social structure is based upon one's profession and abilities - not one's heritage. All within the society of Ruatiwanga are assessed and assigned to a Caste best suited to their talents, though training and hard work can often lead one into a different caste should they undergo a re-assessment and be transferred to a different caste. Ultimately, each of the castes are likened by many Ruatiwangans as but a part of a larger "biological system" that each must work together to form a cohesive and united whole - meaning that while those of a caste may be restricted to the work afforded to their caste and may experience an appropriate level of respect and societal deference as befits their station, all are equal beneath the law.- Brahmana: The "Head" of the body, those of this caste are considered to embody most the quality of goodness - holding roles such as Priests, Teachers, and Scientists, they are the Knowledge and Moral Authority of the Caste System and are expected to embody many virtues such as Austerity, Purity, Tolerance, Honesty, Wisdom, Knowledge, and more.
- Kshatriya: The "Arms" of the body, those of this caste are considered to embody most the quality of passion, and embodying virtues such as Heroism, Power, Determination, Resourcefulness, Courage, Generosity, and Leadership. They are those who hold roles such as Kings, Politicians, Warriors, Officers, and other Leaders.
- Shudra: The "Heart" of the body, those of this caste are considered to embody most the quality of ignorance, and embodying the virtues of instinct, skill, dedication, creativity, and more. They are those who hold roles such as Artisans, Farmers, Crafters, Performers, and other Skilled Workers.
- Vaishya: The "Legs" of the body, those of this cast are considered to not significantly embody any of the other qualities and embody no significant virtues - they are those who hold roles such as Farmers, Landowners, Merchants, Industrialists, and more.
Culture
On a continent that has been so utterly defined for thousands of years by bitter xenophobia, hatred both towards one's neighbors and towards one's religious or cultural rivals, and bloodshed as a matter of course to resolve nearly all of life's differences, the people of Ruatiwanga City are everything that their fellows elsewhere across the continent are not - egalitarian and understanding, tolerant of the differences of others, willing and eager to resolve problems through trade and speech rather than word and blade, and open-minded as well as natural community-seekers who are not only interested in new ideas, but understanding them in a real and complex way. Deeply, deeply religious to a degree that many other cultures are often uncomfortable by, Ruatiwangans are an incredibly devout lot who view adherence to the scriptures of the Gods as paramount in one's life - and while they are not necessarily tolerant of only their religion, they are a deeply religious people who find it difficult to trust others that describe themselves as atheistic or non-religious and often find it difficult to understand the guiding principles of those who do so if they do not hold religion or some form of spirituality close to their hearts(Often viewing such beings as untrustworthy or self-interested).
Contrary to what many expect from such a religious nature, Ruatiwangans are deeply interested in learning and the sciences - they are often natural-born scholars who believe that each and every new field of study is not anathema to the Gods, but expressions of their awe and majesty; That only by learning and understanding the forces of the universe can they truly come to appreciate the majesty of the Gods themselves, and the world that they built for their children. Like all continental Ruatiwangans, those of Ruatiwangan City are incredibly community-minded - seeing helping their neighbors as a matter of course, and often relish in community events, meeting their neighbors, and building connections with those around them to support each other in time of need.
Despite their tolerance, however, the Ruatiwangans of Ruatiwanga City are a deeply xenophobic lot like many of their continental brethren - however, unlike them the Ruatiwangans of Ruatiwanga City hold foreigners from beyond not just the city, but the continent as a whole in the highest contempt: often viewing outsiders in a negative light if they are not native to the Ruatiwangan Continent, especially if they are of species not native to the lands they call home. Those of species they do recognize but have lived lives far afield are often treated even poorer - viewed as traitors and possible agents of foreign powers. Overall, Ruatiwangans are incredibly distrustful of those from beyond their continent or "known world" - assuming most such foreigners to be imperialists or warmongers, or otherwise assuming the worst in others and acting accordingly. This is perhaps described by the fact that, while they are aware that most of the tribal Ruatiwangans who live on the mainland are quick to violence, highly intolerant, and viciously spiteful and hateful to their neighbors, they are a known quantity - they know that the failings of one such group of their kin is not the failings of another for the simple reason that Ruatiwangans rarely see Kingdoms of Empires of any kind, meaning City-States are often the highest forms of government. Meanwhile, foreigners have a terrible history on the Continent of Ruatiwanga and the City both - almost universally arriving as warmongers, imperialists, or agents of a more advanced culture come to "civilize" what they viewed as a Continent of Savages.
Public Agenda
As they stand now in a Golden Age, the City-State of Ruatiwanga's mandate for the past couple centuries has largely centered around building up their forces to one day fight The Iron Empire again, and to bring as much unity and cooperation to the continent in preparation for just such a fight.
Assets
As a City-State that has built its legacy on an expansive trade empire, savvy business and diplomatic decisions, and skillful use of violence applied surgically, the City-State of Ruatiwanga has always been a ludicrously wealthy city-state - controlling trade across the continent for hundreds or even thousands of years and often influencing the vital supply lanes used by the hundreds of tribes across the continent for the vital tin and copper used in the Bronzemaking that is ultimately so crucial to the lives of so many Ruatiwangan tribes.
In addition to this, the City-State of Ruatiwanga is widely considered to have the best armies, navy, and military equipment in all the world - as the only culture on the Ruatiwanga Continent to have mastered the secrets of Ironworking and true deep-ocean sailing, they have assets their more tribal brethren can only dream of.
History
In truth, the history of the city of Ruatiwanga is a storied one - founded in the distant year of 525 AF, the city of Ruatiwanga was first conceived by the Divine Inheritor J'wala Acharekar in the early years of the fourth century, a scant four hundred years after The Skyfall Calamity that rocked the continent so deeply that it threw all of Ruatiwanga into an endless series of bloody wars that lasted until the year 440, when J'wala, Haakturan inheritor of one of the Six Divine Bloodlines of Ruatiwanga, convinced his five fellows - each a veritable demigod in their own right - to cease their campaigns of endless slaughter and form a temporary, uneasy truce. Though this truce was reviled by some of the other Inheritors, it managed to last - and it was only near the end of his life that J'wala, realizing that something must be done to prevent the continent from backsliding into war upon his death once his influence could no longer hold back his fellow Inheritors, put the Six Divine Inheritors and the vast empires they ruled with fear and godlike power to work on a singular, united task: To build a city upon the continent's southernmost isle, long considered a sacred neutral ground going back thousands of years, and form a bond of solidarity in the process.
Though J'wala himself would not live to see the city finished, his plan worked - and in 525, the city of Ruatiwanga was built. While it did not have the truly unifying effect that J'wala had desired, his plans were not entirely in vain - for the city served as a holy city for the Divine Bloodlines and their Inheritors to meet and settle their differences without resorting to their old ways of genocide and butchery. Forming a council within the halls of the then-much smaller city of Ruatiwanga, the Six Inheritors and their Descendants who inherited their power would abandon and re-settle the city countless times over the next six centuries - each time abandoning the city in the face of some disagreement that often escalated into wars and skirmishes, but yet returning each time to de-escalate the conflict as cooler heads eventually prevailed to prevent a full-blown continental war as had raged for four centuries after The Skyfall Calamity, where the Demigod Inheritors, with power enough to level mountains and sunder oceans, warred eternally.
In this fashion, the city endured for centuries - each time it was abandoned by the Six Inheritors and the nations they led, accumulating yet more dregs from their nations who elected to stay behind in the abandoned city, tired of the strife and war, to live a life beyond the yoke of the Demigods that at the time controlled so much of their lives. Over time, this constant abandoned and re-settlement of the city led to the unique development of a proto-culture that would in time develop into that of the modern-day City of Ruatiwanga - as more and more people, fed up with the constant butchery, racist demagoguery, and hatemongering constantly espoused by the Inheritors, settled amongst the now-abandoned city to live amongst those they once regarded as mortal rivals or subhuman garbage; simply too tired and exhausted to cling to their hateful ideals any longer.
This cycle of constant abandonment and re-settlement was not to last, however - for in the summer of the year 1,118 AF, history was made when the Inheritor Council, wracked by centuries and countless generations of constant abandonment of Ruatiwanga, the founding of new capitals, then eventual re-settlement back to Ruatiwanga when cooler heads prevailed, decided that change must be made if a lasting peace were to be formed between them. Consulting the Nabī, the Six Divine Inheritors of the Era, distant descendants of the ones that had founded the city initially so long ago, agreed to aid in the participation of a ritual that would create a Nexus Being for all Six Divine Bloodlines; a Neutral, Higher Existence in whom the power of all Six Legendary Bloodlines of the Gods could reside and serve as the leader of the Six Divine Inheritors. It was then, in the year 1,118 AF, that the first Suzerain was crowned with the help of the Nabī - a divinely chosen ruler, chosen by the Six Sky Gods of Haako-san-tara alone(For any mortal meddling in the crowning process would undoubtedly lead to more bloody politics amongst the Inheritors), was born to rule the Six Bloodlines and serve as a permanent ruler who would call the City of Ruatiwanga their home.
Thus was born The Divine Mandate and the office of Suzerain itself - a permanent ruler for a city whose citizens had long since grown tired of the Inheritors they once served. And indeed, embrace their new ruler the citizens did - their new ruler, chosen by the gods, was welcomed with open arms by the citizens of Ruatiwanga who more than anything longed to cast aside the hatreds of the past and work towards better things and brighter tomorrows. And so it went - upon the death of the first Suzerain, another was soon chosen by the Six Sky Gods of Haako-san-tara and sworn into office, where they ruled from the city of Ruatiwanga as the undisputed master of the Six Divine Inheritors and the Six Divine Bloodlines that flowed within them. No more would the childlike bickering of the Demigod-esque Inheritors tear apart entire mountain ranges or decimate entire islands caught in the vicinity of their battles - the Suzerain's word was absolute, and the Inheritors were allowed to return to their Kingdoms(Many of which degraded into City-States during this time, as the rule of the Inheritors which was often based in fear quickly evaporated) and rule not as tyrants, but as true monarchs. The rest of the continent was free to live as they chose - and thus was born the age of City-States.
Unfortunately, this blessed period was not to last - for while over a thousand years had passed since the city's founding, the Shersūra had never truly forgotten the actions of J'wala, the Haakturan Inheritor whose influence had ended the four- centuries of mindless butchery that wracked the continent in the aftermath of The Skyfall Calamity. And in 1,566 AF, tragedy struck - the two Shersūra Inheritors, in a rare display of cooperation, not only assassinated the Haakturan Inheritor but severed the Divine Bloodline entirely - profaning and destroying it forever in one of the most shameful actions ever undertaken by any in Ruatiwangan History. The two Inheritors, immediately outed as traitors by the remaining three inheritors, were slain in a pitched battle that saw them butchered for the depth and depravity their actions had wrought - both of them personally slaughtered by The Lotus King of Isu, the Bhadu Inheritor, who did the deed to keep the other Inheritors from sullying their hands.
Yet, the damage was done - with one of the Six Divine Bloodlines Severed, The Divine Mandate could not endure. The Six Sky Gods of Haako-san-tara raged and roared, and turned their backs on their traitorous children - in a mere nine years, the last of the Divine Suzerains, Bhrigu Lata, had little choice but to not only end The Divine Mandate, but seal away the Six Divine Bloodlines forever. Each of the surviving Inheritors, kneeling before the Suzerain whose power they had once helped birth, willingly went into early graves to allow the Suzerain to scatter their power across the species in whom their Bloodline Ran - the Shersūra, the Qamir, the Bhadu, and the Ujalaam. No more would the Six Inheritors pass on their power, and no more would they walk the land - their power would scatter amongst their species, to resurface only in times of great need or great celestial importance...though little could ultimately be done for the Haaktura, whose shattered species were forced into exile and retreated high into the mountains to escape their shame.
From there, the Divine Suzerain Bhrigu Lata become Bhrigu the First - first of the Bhrigu Dynasty - and founder of the modern Suzerain System and the modern incarnation of the City-State of Ruatiwanga as it is today, in the throes of the Surajj Dynasty that had followed the Jawahar Dynasty before it.
Demography and Population
An extreme rarity for the continent of Ruatiwanga, the City-State of Ruatiwanga is an incredibly diverse place - possessing large populations of Shersūra, Bhadu, Qamir, Ujalaam, Chotara, and more. Recently, under the reign of Surajj I and his uneasy ceasefire with The Iron Empire, more and more Humans have begun to venture to Ruatiwanga and settle there as well.
However, these races are not expansive - merely the most common. Most all races can be found in Ruatiwanga City in some manner, even if in very small numbers; Even the Nabī, on occasion, can be found on the streets of the city for reasons known only to them and the Suzerain himself.
Territories
The city of Ruatiwanga was founded on an isle along the Continent's Southern reaches that had been used for millennia as a neutral meeting ground for local tribes to meet and settle their differences without fear of betrayal or bloodshed - it was largely ceremonial and uninhabited until the Six Divine Inheritors settled the isle and founded the city of Ruatiwanga atop it in 525 AF.
Military
Though their military is larger than most of the historically small militaries of most Ruatiwangan City-States, the Ruatiwangan City's military is miniscule compared to the likes of The Iron Empire - though it is largely professional, many members of the lower castes sign up for military duties during off-seasons or between harvest seasons before returning to their fields in later months. Nonetheless, the Ruatiwangan Military is one of the most storied and respected on all of the Continent - for good reason was its military once so feared that the mere threat of its deployment could force entire Cities into compliance.
The branches of the Ruatiwangan Military are listed below, alongside short descriptions of them and their purpose.
- The Grand Armada: One of the most expansive navies in all of the Continent, the Ruatiwangan Grand Armada serves the vital role of protecting Ruatiwangan Trade and Shipping Lanes across Ruatiwanga and beyond - utterly invincible and undefeatable by the standards of their more primitive kin, the Armada has never once known defeat until its encounters with The Iron Empire, against whom they even managed to eke out a handful of wins by relying on their ships' speed and maneuverability. Highly trained and prestigious, they are a respected institution that are by little exaggeration the true source of Ruatiwangan Power across the continent.
- The Blackguard: The rank-and-file army of Ruatiwanga itself, the Blackguard are perhaps the most feared military unit in the entire history of the continent - feared beyond measure due to the City of Ruatiwanga having unlocked the secrets of Ironsmithing on a continent who has yet to fully master Bronze, the Blackguard are a highly trained and highly professional military unit who are expected to serve alongside members of all races, act professionally and in such a manner as to not shame their Suzerain, and live their lives according to the rigorous standards of discipline set out by the Temple of the Blooded Claw. Well-equipped and well-trained, they are not merely martially skilled, but magically skilled - with entire legions of shamans and magically enhanced warriors fighting alongside legions of black-armored warriors of all species.
- The Foreign Legion: A rather unique institution that grown significantly since its inception centuries ago, the Ruatiwangan Foreign Legion is one of the most prestigious military institutions on not merely Ruatiwanga, but across Numiastra and beyond as well - a means by which foreigners may gain citizenship, the Foreign Legion is one of the most elite fighting forces in the world that serves the Suzerainty in battles taking place beyond the city proper. Their numbers formed almost exclusively from the ranks of elite soldiers from militaries all across Ruatiwanga and Numiastra whose homelands discarded them once they no longer had use for them, the Foreign Legion is a place for displaced veterans and foreign warriors to find a new home and brotherhood in service of the Suzerain.
- The Immortals: The personal guard of the Suzerain himself, the Immortals are a hyper-elite fighting force hand-picked by the Suzerain to serve as his guards at all times - each of them donning masks and thick black clothes to mask and hide their identities, they live their lives in service of the Suzerain and die for his ideals. Though they seldom see deployment, they often serve as backup civic guard for the City of Ruatiwanga itself alongside the Blackguard.
Technological Level
Perhaps most famously, the City-State of Ruatiwanga is the only culture on the continent to unlock the secrets of Ironworking and of Deep-Ocean Sailing - both said to be secrets left behind to them by the Size Divine Inheritors who founded the city, with other secrets undoubtedly kept in the city's vaults of a similar groundbreaking nature. The secrets of ironworking alone place them head and shoulders above the rest of the continents cultures who remain in a largely bronze-age society - allowing their troops to be outfitted in enormous carapaces of iron and steel that far outstrip the resources of any other city-state or village on the continent, while their advanced seafaring and shipbuilding knowledge has allowed them to dominate continental trade for hundreds if not thousands of years.
Religion
Though the religion of the Six Sky Gods of Haako-san-tara such as Akash-Palla and Trishna-Kapur are the dominant religions of the city and most of the continent of Ruatiwanga, the Suzerainty itself is surprisingly tolerant of religions so long as they can respect and abide the traditions of the Sky Gods and not disturb the public peace with their actions. For religious practices they deem extreme or otherwise threatening to mortal life, however, they are extremely unwelcoming.
Foreign Relations
Though the city of Ruatiwanga does not hold territories outside its walls in the strictest sense, the city is widely considered to be a cultural and religious capital of the continent as well as a Cultural and Religious Authority that most all cultures across the Ruatiwangan Continent can abide as a respected third party. While they do not directly control other nations, they maintain excellent relations and trade networks with hundreds or even thousands of villages and cities across the continent grounded solely in the immense respect Surajj I has engendered amongst the people of the continent - each of them despising each other but competing to earn the Suzerain's favor and earn their lands wealth, prestige, or other boons from the city of Ruatiwanga. Not all cultures or cities upon the continent bow to the Suzerain's authority, however - even the threat of the Suzerain's superior navies and better-equipped armies are not enough to sway everyone, and the Suzerain himself seems uninterested in forcing such holdouts into the fold; instead preferring to wield his city's economy might as a brutal hammer to keep cities in line when need arises.
Overall though, the Suzerainty has excellent relations with most of the Ruatiwangan Continent - as they are at their core an economy and diplomatic powerhouse who prefers to establish trade networks and mutual agreements of benefit rather than engage in costly and brutal wars. For The Iron Empire, the first foreign nation they have truly encountered, they are a bit of an outlier - for they were given no chance at peace until the Empire had torched much of the continent's southwestern shores and only managed to do so when their Suzerain Surajj I managed The Defeat at Saganaoa and successfully signed The Treaty of Letubasa with Tavross, The Iron Emperor.
Laws
Overall, while the city of Ruatiwanga itself has an incredibly robust system of laws and customs to govern its populace as well as a surprisingly fair and equitable system of courts and law institutions, they prefer to let the various territories and city-states which abide the Suzerain's laws to have autonomy in most matters of state and legality - recognizing the simple impossibility of the task of forcing hundreds or thousands of city-states and villages into compliance with their laws.
Instead, the city of Ruatiwanga relies primarily upon a cadre of religious judges known as The Qadi - these judges, whose numbers are drawn in equal parts from the continental cultures of Ruatiwanga as they are the City itself, are trained for years in highly strict and structured academies to learn all the ins and outs of Suzerainty Civil, Criminal, and Religious Law and are eventually dispatched back out to their home territories or villages to serve as agents of the Government in those remote areas; carrying out the standardized justices of the Suzerainty and ensuring that the commands of the Suzerain are obeyed and carried out in all lands that promise to obey them. Often, these Qadi are accompanied by Tax Collectors known as Mültazim, who work more closely with local rulers to ensure tithes and taxes are collected regularly and completely - with all such territories undergoing a vast and comprehensive "Census" once every five years to ensure compliance.
Agriculture & Industry
Well-positioned and well-built on a lush isle with rolling grasslands and expansive forests, the City of Ruatiwanga is an agricultural juggernaut whose fruit orchards are famous the world over - and with the secrets of the long-dormant Six Divine Bloodlines yet slumbering beneath the city such as the secrets of Ironsmithing, Deep-ocean Sailing, and more yet to be discovered by Ruatiwanga's continental cultures, Ruatiwanga is a similarly fearsome Industrial Powerhouse; though they pale in comparison to the likes of The Iron Empire.
Trade & Transport
As an island city-state, Ruatiwanga's trade and transport networks are its most crucial lifeline - its oceanic trade networks and the Armada that protects it the most comprehensive and well-structured system anywhere on the continent. Here, products are primarily moved by sea and up rivers, going by boat as long as possible, eventually going overland via oxen and wagon trains to their destinations under the protection of the Suzerainty's local allies.
Education
Public Education is one of the hallmarks of life in the city of Ruatiwanga - as a city of scholars and curious learners, Academic Institutions are common across the city and in many territories loyal to the Suzerain across the continent(Especially in Randawonga, the city of tomes). However, these instutitions primarily function for adults and are especially focused on mathmatics and the sciences - with an even more special focus on Civil, Criminal, and Religious Law. These institutions are rarely truly free, though some do offer some free programs and attempt to give financial aid to prospective students, though they are nonetheless public institutions for any to access.
The Eternal Seat of Paradise
Founding Date
The city itself was founded in 525 AF, though it has been abandoned and re-settled countless times since. The modern Suzerainty is considered to have been 'founded' in 1575 AF, when Bhrigu I ended the Divine Mandate and sealed the Six Divine Bloodlines.
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Alternative Names
The Suzerainty
Demonym
Ruatiwangan
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Federation
Economic System
Barter system
Currency
Though efforts have been made several times throughout Ruatiwanga's history to implement an official currency, the intense hatreds of local cultures and backlash from more distant areas of the continent prevented its adoption. As it stands, the city-state of Ruatiwanga and much of the territories that abide its laws function under a Barter System - though in recent years the edicts of Surajj I have created a unique Barter Ticket that functions as a backed currency to allow for easy bartering anywhere, using the City's own Gold and Silver Reserves as means to back it.
Major Exports
Fruit, Grains, Vegetables, Ivory, Spices, Gold, Silver, Tin, Copper, Exotic Animals, Animal Pelts, Fish, Etc
Major Imports
Stone, Marble, Wood, Inks, Dyes, Meat, Salt, Coal, Etc
Legislative Body
The Suzerain is the sole legislative body of the city, serving in his illustrious court each day to issue his demands and edicts in the presence of his officials and the populace.
Judicial Body
Though the Suzerain holds ultimate Judicial authority across the city and its territories, each of the Six Temples are empowered to hold Apex Courts to decide upon important matters pertaining to their disciplines that are not important enough to be brought before the Suzerain himself. For even more remote matters, judicial matters are usually handled by highly educated and highly trusted religious judges known as Qadi, who operate in the City-States loyal to the Suzerain's laws and hold public court and allow for public viewing and participation and ultimately decide whether to remand criminals into the Ruatiwangan Criminal Courts or allow local officials to handle more civil cases.
Executive Body
The Suzerain is the sole executive body of the city, though some small parts of his authority are vested in the Six Ministers who head up the Six Temples of the City's Government.
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Reading
Tentatively Cooperating
Though they now stand as tentative allies, that same alliance has been built on the blood and suffering of tens of thousands of dead on each side - after The Defeat at Saganaoa which saw the armies of the Suzerain crush the Iron Empire's expanding armies, the two massive empires were hostile for a time before reluctantly throwing aside their differences to establish the first World Assembly - the council of nations held in the capital of the Suzerainty which included representatives from most of Numiastra's geopolitical powers(the Vrykus Throne and the Kingdom of Obratu not included) and several smaller outlying local powers, each come to discuss matters on a global scale.
Now, with many claiming that the legendary Suzerain Surajj I stands a very real chance at matching the power of the Iron Empire, the Iron Empire has been forced to recognize the power of Ruatiwanga and its seemingly invincible Suzerain, despite his(by Iron Empire Standards) freakish and inhuman appearance. A testament to the Suzerain's affable nature and overwhelming charisma, the legendary Treaty of Letubasa, writ in a private meeting between the Suzerain and Tavross, The Iron Emperor over the course of a 78 hour meeting behind closed doors, paved the way for cooperation between the two powers despite the Suzerainty's mostly inhuman population of beastmen and other non-humans from the Ruati continent; a legendary brokerage signed into law by the two leaders before a gathered crowd of both nations.
It was, in truth, the first time in the history of either nation that such a pact of cooperation had been made despite the incredible tensions that linger even now between them, as if they both lie constantly on the brink of returning to the old ways and wars that once caused such disasters such as The Defeat at Saganaoa a little over a century prior. It is not an easy alliance, nor a steady one - but it holds for now in the face of greater threats such as The Vrykus Throne, hard fought for by a select few on both sides despite the two nations, in many ways, still yearning for war against the other.
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