North West Pact

If you ask me, that North West Pact will probably fall into infighting and break up long before Kuwvyana or Vyanutiqu even mobilise. They're just waiting. It's a matter of time.

— Üükabwi-adhayo politician

The North West Pact is a collective defense treaty between Ijwavya and three other states in the north west of Thurásin. Formed in 21 Contact, the Pact ensures that each country is defended in the event of an invasion from the north, or more recently from the east.

History

Beginnings

When the monarchy of Ijwavya was overthrown in 42 Famine - replaced by a democratic government - not all nearby countries were pleased. Notable among them was the Kingdom of Kuwvyana, whose monarchy was closely related to the deposed one, and which sheltered the exiled royals. Kuwvyana continued to fund monarchist groups in the new Republic, but found little success. This eventually led them to officially throw their weight behind the cause, invading Ijwavya's outlying islands in 19 Disturbance.
This Ijwavya-Kuwvyana War lasted 8 years and resulted in the loss of two of the three islands for Ijwavya. The reason more islands were not lost was due to the intervention of Ijwavya's continental neighbours, Zhrayqarnyu and Shixiiwul. At war's end, Kuwvyana agreed to a truce, formally acknowledging Ijwavya's republic as legitimate. This did little to assuage fears on the continent that Kuwvyana would return soon to claim the last island, or to invade mainland Ijwavya.

Pact

To this end, the trio of countries who fought Kuwvyana agreed to a series of treaties with each other, pledging to come to the others aid in times of war. This proto-North West Pact came in handy when Kuwvyana sneakily attempted to claim the last of Ijwavya's islands in 5 Contact., with their force being repelled easily. The island and much of Ijwavya's coast remained heavily fortified for years afterwards, in preparation for a third attempt.
When this attempt did not come, Ijwavya, Zhrayqarnyu, and Shixiiwul decided to make their agreements simpler and more consistent. After years of negotiation, the three signed the North West Pact in 21 Contact, and made knowledge of the agreement public to dissuade Kuwvyana from attacking again. Not long after the publication of the Pact, the group were contacted by representatives from the nearby Republic of Lithuziiy, who were concerned that their west sea holdings would be endangered by any wars in the north west. Lithuziiy became an official signatory in 25 Contact.

Post-Signing

Lithuziiy was followed by their own southern neighbour, the Republic of Glinzüchöl, who signed onto the Pact in 31 Contact. Upon joining, they were able to negotiate a change to the Pact's rules - that any signatory who attacked another member would be immediately removed from the treaty. Seen as a commonsense measure, it passed easily.
Following the rule alteration, the Pact gained another new member in 5 Return - the Magocracy of Üükabwi-adh. While an initially enthusiastic member, eager to share their knowledge of magical defense with the rest of the pact, things quickly soured between them and Ijwavya - the only member of the pact they shared a border with. This dispute turned into the Mage War of 12 Return, with Üükabwi-adh seizing territory from Ijwavya. When the war ended a few months later, Üükabwi-adh was formally expelled from the Pact, and has made no effort to reapply.
The war caused a great deal of stress amongst the Pact members, with some condemnation aimed at Glinzüchöl, who had failed to mobilise effectively until the war was all but over. In 16 Return, Glinzüchöl removed its signature from the Pact and left, though it did sign a treaty with Lithuziiy to maintain their personal alliance.

Structure

The North West Pact currently has 4 members. Each member state provides representatives for two councils - the Civilian Pact Council, and the Military Pact Council. To the former are sent diplomats or heads of state/government, and to the latter are sent generals and military commanders.
The Civilian Pact Council deals with the matter of foreign policy and local law, as it pertains to the Pact's agenda. Each state sends at least two representatives to each meeting, which are held once a month, though can be called at any time depending on circumstance. Decisions made by the CPC must be unanimous in order to come into effect.
The Military Pact Council deals with the day-to-day running of each state's militaries, and how those militaries coordinate with each other in training and actual combat. Each state sends at least two representatives, and for important meetings will send their highest military officials. The MPC gives the CPC advice on military policy.

Current Members

Ijwavya

The Republic of Ijwavya was the one of the founders of the North West Pact, and its de facto leader. They're located on the northern shores of Thurásin.

Zhrayqarnyu

The Kingdom of Zhrayqarnyu was one of the founders of the North West Pact. They're a small west-coast nation, with the highest elf population in the region.

Shixiiwul

The Kingdom of Shixiiwul was one of the founders of the North West Pact. They're an inland monarchy, and the poorest country in the Pact.

Lithuziiy

The Republic of Lithuziiy was the first country to join the Pact after it came into effect. They are a west-coast republic, with many merchant islands.

Former Members

Glinzüchöl

The Republic of Glinzüchöl was the second non-founder to join the Pact. They are a south-coast republic, and left due to being pacifistic.

Üükabwi-adh

The Magocracy of Üükabwi-adh was the last country to join the Pact, and the first to leave. A northern magocracy, they fought with Ijwavya and were expelled.

Founding Date

21 Contact 51 Years Ago

Type

Alliance, Generic

Related Historical Events

• 374 AC
  North West Pact formed
• 358 AC
  Battle of Rixuqab

Members

Ijwavya Founder

Zhrayqarnyu Founder

Shixiiwul Founder

Lithuziiy 25 Contact

Former Members

Glinzüchöl 31 Contact - 16 Return

Üükabwi-adh 5 Return - 12 Return

Northern Aggression

The main reason for the formation of the North West Pact was to fend off the advances of the Kingdom of Kuwvyana. Kuwvyana's reasons for trying to expand south have changed many times since the Ijwavya-Kuwvyana war, ranging from trying to restore Ijwavya's monarchy to retaliating against Ijwavya's aggression.
More likely is that they wanted greater access to warm waters and the western sea, a valuable area of trade with great connections to rich powers like Ozäxa-Lavüdh. There is also the element of pride - prior to its collapse in 88 Renewal Kuwvyana had held a significant amount of 'mainland' territory. Ijwavya at the time was functionally a puppet state at the time, and many in Kuwvyana today believe its territory is rightfully theirs.

Fireworks by davidgarry

Kuwvyana is not the only northern power with eyes on the continent. Their western neighbour, the Kingdom of Vyanutiqu, has also expressed interest in the region in the past. Similar to Kuwvyana, they believe that they are the rightful owners of Thurásin's north west, and want to restore their former glory. Unlike Kuwvyana, they have yet to launch any military campaign to uphold this claim, certainly not since the North West Pact was formed.
This fact does not reassure the member states of the Pact, however. Many on the continent believe that it is only a matter of time before either Kuwvyana or Vyanutiqu attempt to invade. The island of Rixuqab, which is the last one held by Ijwavya, is thoroughly defended as a result, as is most of the north coast.

Sword and Chainmail by stronytwoichmarzen

Mage War

The short-lived war between Ijwavya and Üükabwi-adh was the first major dispute in the North West Pact, and one that most external observers expected. The two had been tense neighbours for eras, dating back to when they were the subsidiaries of two rival powers. While the Pact hoped their shared distaste for Kuwvyana would smooth relations, this clearly failed.
The Mage War itself began as a series of blunders and social faux pas, culminating in the Ijwavyamii President calling Üükabwi-adh's mage army "a legion of parlour tricksters". Refusing to let the slight past, said parlour tricksters seized control of a town on the border, beginning the months long standoff.

Burning Book by Movidagrafica