Estrella

The westernmost country on Ish'ae, Estrella is comprised on a confederation of twelve states. Bordered to the west by Duskborder, to the south by the Greensea, and North and east by the Kanavari Ocean. Estrella is a large, but isolated nation. It has existed for countless centuries, but under different names. The most notable of those names was that of the nation that came before Estrella; Mirabelle. The nation of Estrella is relatively new, only forming in the last 300 years. Currently, Estrella has built itself up over the last centuries very quickly, becoming a new player on the world stage.

Structure

The Confederation of Esterlla is comprised of twelve independent states that are almost entirely autonomous except in matters of trade, defense, education, and some legal matters.
National defense is the purview of the branches of the Estrellan army. The Office of Education is in charge of assuring all citizens receive a proper, nationally mandated education. The military and education systems are the only branches for which a national tax is levied. The due to it's ubiquity around the country, the Office of Education also contains a small branch that deals in tax collection.
Trade is a free enterprise, but interstate tariffs are illegal. All other trade deals are made by on an independent basis between parties.
Three levels of courts make up the government and legal power within Estrella.
The Dolieri High Court are the highest and most respected judges in the country. They typically discuss and create national laws, but do occasionally preside over cases of national importance. When I law is created it is brought to every court in the land. The enforcement of laws is at the purview of every judge, but laws also function as a legal precedent from which many people can argue their cases for even in an area that does not actively enforce or recognize that law.
The Guild of Judges is responsible for the training and assignment of all municipal judges. These are the most common courts found all throughout the land. Judges at this level are assigned to any settlement that reaches a certain population. There is an expectation that there is a judge for every 5,000 people. Therefore, judges get assigned whenever a population rises to such a level that a need is created. All unassigned judges are expected to function as advocates for hire until they are assigned. Judges at this level oversee municipal level cases, and decide on which laws shall or shall not be recognized for their community. Upon reaching a certain level of experience and age, judges can be promoted to state level courts. These oversee cases between larger institutions like trade deals, or cross state cases.
The Department of Investigation is a completely independent branch of courts. Promising recruits from the Guild of Judges are accepted directly upon graduation from the guild. These Investigators are meant to investigate any claims made against Judges. This can be as simple as serving as a judge for a retrial, or investigating claims against an acting judge. They are the only agency with the authority to strip judges of their rank. This authority also applies to the Doleri High Court, but in those rare cases the final decision to strip a High Court judge is decided by a national referendum.

History

The westernmost country on Ish'ae, Estrella is comprised on a confederation of twelve states. Bordered to the west by Duskborder, to the south by the Greensea, and North and east by the Kanavari Ocean. Estrella is a large, but isolated nation. It has existed for countless centuries, but under different names. The most notable of those names was that of the nation that came before Estrella; Mirabelle. The nation of Estrella is relatively new, only forming in the last 300 years. While much has changed in the intervening years, the country is still very defined by it's predecessor.
The nation of Mirabelle is believed to have existed for thousands of years. Exact dates are unclear due to a lack of educated people during that time, and writing being mainly one of the privileges of the noble class. As such, much of history of that time is parsed from numerous oral traditions. One thing is for certain when it comes to the history of Mirabelle. Throughout all of it's stories, legends, and myths there is one commonality, the presence of the Court of Miracles.
Very little can be discussed about Estrella or Mirabelle without speaking about the Court of Miracles. One of the most fundamental of legends is that of the Court. Throughout the history of Mirabelle, there was always the presence of magic. Creatures were often magic, and just as often quite dangerous. Forests, chief among them being the great Greensea, were always full of powerful magic. When it came to people, magic was a far less predicable force. Legends tell of children manifesting magical abilities at a young age. The reasons given for these powers are never clear, but many explanations are given. Those children could be powerful enough to become mighty sorcerers as adults, or just powerful enough to be worthy of a baudy poem about a simple trickster. There was never truly rhyme or reason for who would gain magical powers, and just how powerful they could be.
In the myth of the Court, the land of Mirabelle was a chaotic and dangerous place, where magical people could do as they pleased. Some sorcerers were kind, others vile and murderous, and even worse were driven mad by their powers. It is in this chaotic land that the Court was formed. Twelve sorcerers came together to bring order to the rampant magic throughout the land. Each sorcerer was said to posses a particular gift with a type of magic. In their quest, four of the twelve died, and with them the secrets of their gift. In the end, the remaining eight brought all magic users under their control, and established a Court with which to rule and control magic, for the benefit of the people. It is said that the people of the land bestowed upon this court the title of the Court of Miracles, for the great work that they accomplished.
The principles of the Court were simple-
Any person who displayed magical powers was to join the Court, and become a courtier.
Courtiers were to abandon all ties to their former lives.
All courtiers were to be trained and educated in the eight schools of the eight founders.
Courtiers were expected to be neutral, and above influence.
Courtiers were expected to use their powers for the greatest benefit.
Courtiers could not kill other courtiers without express approval of the Court.
With these principles in mind, the Court of Miracles was formed. Their consolidation of magic, quickly made them into the dominant force within Mirabelle. Furthermore, while the formation of the Court was intended to control the chaos of magic, it was still subject to chaos of the individual. While the Court could train a sorcerer to use their natural gifts, they still have no control over who would develop magical powers, and or how powerful that magic could become. Despite the best efforts of the Court, the number and strength of magic users was unpredictable. There were ages defined by a handful of incredibly powerful sorcerers, who used their power to prolong their lives and exert their influence. Other times, the court of inundated by thousands of sorcerers, sometimes very powerful, and other times capable of only the simplest parlor tricks. Furthermore, the morality of those sorcerers was equally unpredictable. While the Court had provisions to kill courtiers, difficulties arose when those marked for death could be the strongest sorcerers within the Court.
Throughout the life under the Court, the people of Mirabelle saw wildly vacillating times of fortune and famine. The Court's provision that sorcerers used their powers "the greatest benefit" left a great deal up to interpretation. Some sorcerers established kingdoms in all but name. Servants of those sorcerers served at their behest, in hopes that the mighty magic user might use their powers to benefit them. At times, this was the case; some places revered a sorcerer for providing unnaturally bountiful harvests or defeating powerful monsters. Other times, settlements would serve a sorcerer in hopes of avoiding their ire; the slightest insult could result in the destruction of crop fields, or powerful curses cast upon whole villages. Despite all of this chaos, the Court could always be counted on for one thing. Should the people ever rise up to question or attempt to destroy the Court, the courtiers would close rank. Using the dual power of threat of destruction, and the promise of unnatural boons, the Court would reestablish order. This unsteady equilibrium lasted for thousands of years.
Despite all the power, fortune, and knowledge collected by the Court of Miracles after thousands of years of uninterrupted rule, one question would evade them. This question would be their eventual downfall; what controlled the manifestation of magical powers within people? This became a pressing issue as the Court saw it's numbers dwindle. Fewer and fewer people began to manifest magical powers. The aging courtiers began to worry; would this be the end of the Court? With their own lack of true magical power, these courtiers had turned to the studies of magical sciences. The supplemented their decreasing vitality with alchemical potions. Their servants were more and more often some combination of artificial construct, and arcane experimentation. As with any threat to the Court, the sorcerers closed rank and formed a sanctuary within the north-east lands of Mirabelle. Rending mountains from the very earth around them, the created a massive barrier between them and the people. Sealed within this sanctuary, the Court of Miracles began to experiment in earnest.
To the people of Mirabelle, the absence of the Court was terrifying at first. They no longer had protection from the fearsome creatures of the land. The arcane technologies gifted to them from the Court were taken away. For the first time in centuries, the people of Mirabelle were left to their own devices. Some villages crumbled, as if overnight, but others banded together. Though weakened and poor, their desperation formed a unity. Order was tentatively reestablished in the land of Mirabelle.
A few years pasted without incident, until the Court reemerged from their sanctuary. Throughout the land they made a call for volunteers. They promised riches, rewards, and even the hint of possible power for those selfless enough to join them. People came in droves, and were welcomed into the mysterious sanctuary of the Court. Once the mountains sealed up again, those people were never to be seen or heard from. Every year or so, the Court would return, calling for more volunteers while rewarding the families of those volunteers who already had joined them. More and more people followed the Court into their sanctuary, and none of them ever returned.
As more and more people left to never be seen again, questions began to arise throughout the land. Families demanded the return of those who left to volunteer, and cities begged for the return of able bodied workers. After years of droves of people disappearing into the sanctuary, and a growing clamor of demands the Court relented. They released a large contingent of volunteers who had proven unable to provide insights into their investigation. Those people that returned were twisted and transformed into something completely new and unknown. The Court needed to transform their volunteers into more able test subjects that could better withstand the rigors of magical experimentation. To this end they created an entire new race, the Naren. Bearing mystical markings throughout their bodies, these gold and silver people were unrecognizable to their kin. Even worse were those that had not been killed by the experiments, but seemingly rendered invalid. Hundreds of these new Naren were shadows of their former selves, unable to speak, eat, and sometimes even sleep.
With the truth about the experiments now known, the calls for volunteers went mostly unanswered. No amount of gold, glory, and promises of power could sway the people. Desperate to continue their research, the Court turned to more nefarious methods. Using their magics, they would sway whole villages, or simply cause them to disappear. Fear of the Court once again swept the people of Mirabelle. While many were terrified into submission, almost as many began to rebel. Leaders of the rebellion were first and foremost from the population of new Naren.
Finding a new enemy in the rebellious Naren the court launched a double pronged attack of propaganda and divide and conquer. Soon the Naren were blamed for any misfortune that befell the land. In a show of concern for the well fare of the people, the Court offered to lend aid in the form of magical boons for those willing to stand up for the defense of their nation. Those are answered the call were hailed as patriotic heroes. The Court subjected those people to transformational magics, to create a race of faithful hunters and guards; The Cambistra. For a time, the distraction of conflict between the Naren and Cambistra, and the campaign of magical deception allowed the Court to continue their work unimpeded. Underneath this conflict, the Court also created a second servant race; The Yeoune. The most loyal servants of the court were transformed into shadowy agents that did the most horrid and unseemly deeds for the Court. Little did they know, this element of secretive shadow agents were the undermining them from the inside.
It wasn't until a simple clerical mistake led to the partnership that would lead to the fall of the Court. The Bana family were a poor family living at the foot of Greyhilt Mountain. The family was so poor that they could not feed their newly born second child. Like many families who were desperate for money, they sold their daughter, Quendra, in secret to the Court. It was a shameful reality for many of families like them. The money they gained allowed them to build a better life for their first child and son, Quinsin Bana. Through the families efforts Quinsin rose to become a military commander, noted for his intelligence and the loyalty he founded in his troops. Eventually Quinsin was selected as a candidate to join the ranks of the Cambistra. This was highly unusual, as families that contributed subjects to become either Naren or Cambistra could not contribute for both. The conflict of interest was viewed as a serious liability. The only problem with that, was that the Bana family gave away Quendra under an assumed name. It is believed that the agent who took the child away was a Yeoune, who simply falsified the records in a small act of subterfuge to lessen the power of the Court.
While Quinsin, and his family grew up happy and healthy, their daughter Quendra lived a very different life. Children could not survive the strain of the Naren transformation, so instead they were made to be servants. Quendra served at the behest of one sorceress named Kinburga. Assisting the old sorceress, Quendra's quick mind learned much. Servants were never allowed to learn to read or write the language of the Court, called Cirsic. Despite the threat Quendra would often steal books from the dotty old Kinburga, and taught herself to read and write. Eventually, she was found out, and as punishment was subjected to a premature Naren transformation. Much to the chagrin of the Court, the young girl proved strong enough to survive the torture. From then on, she was subjected to batteries of the most dangerous tests. For years, Quendra suffered under the hands of the Court. One faithful day, fortune would take a strange turn for Quendra. After a particularly trying experiment, all the subjects were presumed killed. The corpses were all buried in a shallow grave along the western most mountains. Little did the court realize, the magics used in that experiment only created a sort of temporary death-like stasis. Many of the survivors extricated themselves from the shallow graves, and escaped over the western mountains. Quendra was among those survivors.
The survivors, knowing that they would be caught and killed if they were discovered, went to the only people they knew would protect them; the rebelling Naren. Quendra and her lot were trained to become some of the fiercest warriors within the rebellion. For years after, rumors and would spread of Quendra and her band "dead warriors". Eventually, Quinsin and his group of Cambistra were assigned to hunt down Quendra and her group. It was here that the brother and sister were reunited. It is claimed that the siblings knew each other instantly, others claim a violent battle ensued before the truth was realized. Whatever the case, the Bana siblings were reunited.
Both Bana siblings were followed by loyal bands of Naren and Cambistra respectively. Regardless of former allegiances, those Naren and Cambistra followed the siblings. Now with the availability provided by the new Cambistra double agents, as well as the network of the rebellion, Quendra and Quinsin laid the ground work for what would become the War of Liberation. For a few years they spread the truth of the Court in secret, slowly countering the propaganda of the Court. More and more dissidents began to rise up. It was at this time the the Yeoune came forward to assist with their own robust network of resources and spies. Providing some of the most important secrets of the Court, the Yeoune agents gave the rebellion a decisive advantage. Unfortunately, this betrayal was discovered, and all Yeoune were subjected to a powerful curse the remove their abilities to hide. As such, many of them fled across the ocean, knowing that their would be no mercy from the Court for them.
One faithful day, Quendra led their army from their secret stronghold long the mountain of Greyhilt, and begun struck out at the Court stronghold of Domhain. This sparked the greatest war in the history of either Mirabelle or Estrella. The war took years to prosecute, and the costs were massive. Whole elements of the land were altered from the result. The largest of these changes was the eventually extinction of the progenitor race of the Ul'Soron. In their wake was left the races of the Naren, Cambistra, and the Yeoune.
Subjected to a powerful curse Quendra was marked for death, but she did manage to see the end of the war. With her final days ahead of her, she spent her time feverishly writing out both a memoir and charter for what would become Estrella. Upon her death, Quinsin made it his life's work to see that the world his sister envisioned came to pass. This was the beginning of the nation of Estrella. In her honour, one of the first actions of the new government of Estrella was to rename the sight of their first victory after her. The fortress city of Domhain, was rechristened Quendra and became the capital city of the new nation.
Estrella was founded on very simple principles; freedom, education, and the honouring of compacts. For the first years of the country, many fact finding groups traveled the lands. Researching how best to demarcate settlements, states, and the like. This led to a great deal of confusion, corruption, and conflict. Multiple settlements would lay claim to tracts of land. Eventually, it all became too much for a central government to control. To that end, courts and judges were promptly trained and assigned through the nation.
While the instituting of judges and courts to adjudicate these many claims did serve as a reasonable stopgap, the main government of Estrella had more dire problems to deal with. Though the Court of Miracles had been defeated, it's influence was still an felt throughout the land. The sanctuary it constructed in the north had quickly become unstable. The massive collection of magical energy that had been built up and manipulated in that area was unraveling without the influence of sorcerers to control it. Furthermore, in the aftermath of the war it came to light that the Court had been maintaining barriers around both the Duskborder and the Greensea. The borders of both areas began to teem with dangerous and fearsome creatures.
The former sanctuary of the Court was eventually dubbed The Mystic Frontier. It was the primary issue for the government. While they could handle the understandable threat of wild creatures, the issue of controlling a force they had no experience or capacity for proved an incredibly difficult issue. While the newly formed Circle of Rowan did their best to hunt down the remnants of the Court, the government had their hands full. Citizens demanded all manner of things when it came to the Mystic Frontier. Some wanted all memory of the Court destroyed, others wanted to sell what they could to as recompense for their suffering, and the constant threat of treasure hunters kept the government incredibly busy. Left with no other option, the lands of the Mystic Frontier were sealed to entry on punishment of death. The Circle of Rowan was given full control over allowing entry, setting up their headquarters in the city of Geashglen.
Slowly, but surely peace began to take hold in the land of Estrella. For a few decades, there was a level of peace and prosperity in the land. This peace was unfortunately not to last. Reports began to build up of corruption of local judges. Claims of bribery, intimidation, and seizing of land came to light. While the government was focused on securing it's borders, many groups formed together around courts.
Bribery became rampant, as certain wealthy people attempted to grab land. Left to their own devices, the majority of people were subjected to the will of newly formed oligarchs. In response, many poor people became criminals. It was quickly becoming common practice for the delivery of bribes to be stolen. Having nowhere to turn to report the theft of illegal funds, the oligarchs form their own para-military groups. The hostilities between corrupt oligarchs, and bands of thieves quickly became a nationwide conflict referred to as The Cutpurse War.
For several months, the lands were thrown into civil war. The government did what it could, but found itself unable to move quick enough to pacify the rapid and unpredictable conflicts that would emerge. Near the end of the year, hostilities were brought to a sudden, and unexpected end. Within weeks, numerous oligarchs and thief groups were either found dead or arrested. While the citizens were relieved for an end to the hostilities, many questioned about such a violent conflict could end so suddenly. Rumours circulated that the government made a deal with the largest group of oligarchs and thieves. While no one can be sure, the rumours soon took on a mythical status. Many people claim that some oligarchs and thieves joined together to form an organization, a court of criminals that the government allowed.
After the events of the Cutpurse War, the government decided that they needed to centralize their court system to maintain a tighter control, and put an end to corruption and bribery. For several decades the system did seem to work. While the courts did slow tremendously, the government was able to seemingly keep the courts free of outside influence.
Slowly, but surely the dissolving of local courts did create a disconnect between the central government and the settlements around them. Claims were still being settled, and others were being brought for retrial after being thrown out due to corruption. Without a strong source of information like the courts, the government was unaware of what was brewing in it's western lands. A group of citizens calling themselves the New Wind Citizens were growing in size and influence. This group was formed by people who wanted to remove all remnants for the former Mirabellean empire. To that end, they advocated for the destruction of any thing connected to Mirabelle. This included settlements, any and all institutions that involved themselves with magic, and any historical documents of the former nation.
The government only heard tell of this group in sparse reports. Even when the NWC began to riot, the government only heard of it after the fact. Most people in local government didn't want to appear incapable of controlling this growing violent group. Moreover, many of those in power began to align themselves with the NWC. The growing power and violence of the group came to a head in what became known as the Plot of Five Bells.
The Plot of Five Bells took place throughout the western-most cities, specifically Heocend, Zanuri, and Fain'Mohr. All members of the NWC were ordered to strike at institutions in each of these cities at the strike of five bells of the clock tower. When the bell struck five, the NWC carried out a series of coordinated strikes. They destroyed numerous buildings, either by hand, arson, and in the use of simple explosives. The destruction was fierce and sudden. Within less than an hour, those parts of each of those cities were either demolished or setting fire to surrounding buildings. Unfortunately, even with such excessive destruction, the military took ten days to even begin mobilizing. At that point the NWC had already gone underground.
The government rapidly began to re-institute the branches of courts throughout the country. Alongside this, they formed a new branch of the courts; The Office of Investigation. Created with the stated purpose of being a check against corruption in the courts, this branch was also created as an information gathering apparatus of the central government. During this time, the NWC was viciously hunted down. While it took a great deal of effort, many of the leaders of the group were put to death.
For the next two years, the entire country was rapidly descending into chaos. The impact of the NWC carried throughout the land, and did galvanize those citizens that were empathetic to their cause. Alongside this, the local courts quickly descended back into their old ways of corruption that malpractice. Finally, the process of establishing borders and claims for settlements was still an on-going problem. In the end, the government stepped in, and made one of it's most sweeping proclamations to date.
Believing that the settlement claims were becoming an untenable issue, the government broke up the lands of Estrella into twenty seven, evenly sized districts. All claims were thrown out, and courts were reorganized to suit these new districts. This proved a fatal mistake. Within months, the country descended into all out civil war. This War of the 27, raged chaotically through the land. No one could be sure what side was fighting which. Many settlements lashed out at the central government. Others attempted to claim land in neighbouring districts. The NWC rose up again, but this time as a seemingly aimless group of terrorists.
For three years, the entire country turned inward on itself. During this time, a small, dedicated group of agents within the Office of Information made inroads with various leaders of powerful settlements. For years, this group worked to build relationships, and slowly influence the course of events. On the anniversary of the War of Liberation, they made their move.
Seemingly overnight, word went out of a dissolving of the current government, and the establishment of a new court. This court, referred to as the Dolieri High Court was to be the single highest court in the land. All other courts would listen to them, but remain independent. Secondly, as their first act, the High Court established twelve independent states in place of the twenty seven districts. The leaders of these new states, all signed a treaty to form a confederation. Thirdly, in a very public showing the leaders of the NWC as well as those who created the twenty seven districts were put to death as traitors.
This grand display, and the rapidity with which it came to fruition stunned many factions into temporary defensive stances. This lull, gave the leaders of the new states time to mobilize and, either pacify or destroy many of the lingering enemies. It is here, that the nation of Estrella that is known today was formed.

Freedom above all. Freedom for all.

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Alternative Names

Mirabelle