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 representatives from across the nation with a nominated prime minister 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. Despite the complex struggles within its state today, Althraxia managed great feats in its early history. As early as the Age of Blood, its 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 the emergence of 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 ignorance, hesitant 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 to Kaszastrix himself, earning him the title of the Kingsbane Drake. The ensuing instability and lack of leadership saw the lands of the Savirree Valley attempting to break away numerous times, only to be reintegrated again each time. It was during this tumultuous period that Althraxia allowed Sylla to slip away from its grip as it required all of its resources focused upon its own self-preservation. Stability eventually came to the Savirree Valley under an extended period of rule by the Demagogues after a seizure of power by Martin the Subjugator, a general in the Althraxian army who had defeated several dragons and wielded the mythical sword Haldun-Kur. Martin's rule saw the reintegration of the entirety of the Savirree Valley and an expansion into the West Marches, as well as a reannexation of small border territories from break-away Sylla. 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, who had attempted to rule his lands with an iron fist to defeat the dragons. Following this, the territory of the empire fractured between weak, but 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, allowing for the emergence of a federation of the Three Republics in the regions Althraxia had previously divided into. These republics did not last long, as their emergence coincided with the most major migrations of the Thalgor westward, which only amplified the destruction and violence that Althraxia was still attempting to recover from. The western regions of Orthetia, long a breadbasket for the region, became especially beloved by the Thalgor hordes and still lay beyond the modern-day demarcation of the West Marches. The Citizen Senate, now ruling over Althraxia, oversaw the return of the lands of northern Orthetia back into the Althraxian fold after the federation collapsed, though Adaetha achieved its permanent independence. Parts of Cadisia were also forced back into Althraxian hands, though by this time the West March Wars were well under way. Althraxia's fate had thus been sealed by the endless and merciless invasions of the Thalgor, and it never recovered enough to lay claim to its former lands. The intervention of the The Protectorate-Commonwealth further distanced any hopes of the empire's revival, for they formed alliances with the nations which had declared their independence. 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, but the populace has long moved on and embraced their more menial lives. The irrelevency of Althraxia is perhaps best underscored by the fact that it borders Sylla and it has yet to engage in serious military action with its Dhampir counts. Neither they, nor the crusaders who fight them, see Althraxia as a region of note or a useful front on which to wage war. The Demagogues, too, are long gone, though some of the political class still dreams of their return - always with themselves at the head. In truth, the everyday people of Althraxia have developed an independent character, and their desires to spreads their lands have long faded away. Any calls to war are quickly rejected and laughed at (much to the disappointment of the politicians).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. The region of Althraxia which borders Sylla is today known as the Northern Front (despite the fact that it does not see any actual fighting). Members of Althraxia's military are congregated here, where the woods thin out and a blight-blasted wasteland spans flatly towards Visenhaid. Their numbers are few, but they are enough of a deterrent to keep the Syllans from mustering up the effort to overwhelm the nation to their south.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, Ziva-Adaxa, Ziva-Cadir, Ziva-Orthsco, and Ziva-Phrastrana. 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: @Pandal
National Instrument: Kithara
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, Prime Minister Xavier
Government: Confederation of City-States
Hallmarks: Proud history, calm backwoods, multiculturalism, artisanship and guild economics
Characteristics: Independent, joyful, relaxed, pragmatic
National Animal: @Pandal
National Instrument: Kithara
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, Prime Minister Xavier
Government: Confederation of City-States
Hallmarks: Proud history, calm backwoods, multiculturalism, artisanship and guild economics
Characteristics: Independent, joyful, relaxed, pragmatic