Olane (Oh-layne)
Olane is a kingdom in the center of the Expanse. Not known for anything specific but not irrelevant either, it is an accurate microcausm for the whole of Estrodia, and people from all major species may be found here.
History
Origins
Olane was founded relatively recently compared to some other nations on the Expanse, formally becoming a kingdom in 544 AC. The first king of Olane was Dendron Penderghast, who formed the kingdom to fill a vacuum following the fall of Ascinia. The Penderghast family would continue to rule Olane through to the present day, and Olane's success as a nation rose and fell depending on the competency of the ruling king.Golden Age
For much of Olane's history, it enjoyed stability but lacked any real advancement or growth, and was realtively stagnant as a nation. More recently, Olane has had a much more varied history, beginning with the coronation of Olfred Penderghast, the father of the current King Guibert. Olfred's ascension to the throne kickstarted a period of wealth and prosperity for Olane, thanks to their new king's disciplined economic policies and willingness to embrace new ideas. Olfred's Olane would see the construction of Veritas, one of the most popular leisure cities on the continent, as well as advancements in medicine and industry within its borders. Olfred also cracked down on banditry in the countryside, using the expansion of the military to bolster businesses through supply contracts and drastically increasing safety outside of town walls. It was said that under Olfred, an Olanian citizen could walk across their land with their eyes closed and never encounter any danger.Olanian Civil War
Olane under King Olfred was not without its troubles, though. For many years, elves in Olane had suffered persecution and discrimination on everything from adequate housing to well-paying jobs, despite being a relatively large share of the population. As a result were restricted to an impoverished state, and even as Olane prospered, the elves saw none of the returns. This unrest has manifested in protests and strikes over the years, but after no progress was made, the elves decided to take more drastic action. A militant group known as the Eclean Revival formed in the west of the nation, and many elves quickly joined its ranks. Having a large and dominant presence in the western half of the nation, in 1202 the Eclean Revival revolted against the regional governor of Ernst and formally announced their succession from Olane, forming the nation of Eclea in the lands separated by the Saphres River. Olane, under the command of King Olfred, quickly declared war against the fledgling nation, and the Olanian Civil War began. After quickly taking the land they had declared as theirs, the Eclean Revival dug in to their positions and began a fierce war of attrition against the bolstered Olanian military. This continued for a full year, during which time many of the leaders of the Revival were killed in action. Luckily for the Ecleans, Ushana, as a fellow elf-dominated nation, offered support in the form of weapons and supplies to the rebels, and allowed them to hold out long enough for the Olanian military to exhaust most of their reserves. In addition, the rebels had cut off the major waterways for Olanian naval traffic, gutting the Olanian economy and undoing much of the good Olfred's reign had done.The Saphres Treaty
In 1204, Olfred drew back his troops from Eclea, and sent a messenger to Ernst to arrange for a peace gathering. On the banks of the Saphre River on the 8th of Tide's Height, Olfred met personally with a young Commander Janessa, the highest surviving officer in the Eclean command, and signed a treaty recognizing Eclea as a sovereign nation and guranteeing peace for a period of ten years. As part of this deal, Olfred would relinquish all land south of the Saphres river, as well as the western lands north of it currently held by the Ecleans. Following the treaty, Eclea would give these northern lands to Ushana as payment for their assistance in the war, greatly expanding West Ushana.Civil War Aftermath
Following the conclusion of the war, Olfred would spend the remainder of his reign recovering from the damage done to Olane. Very little physical damage had been done to mainland Olane, but the economic fallout from losing the war would persist beyond his death. Only twenty five years later, under Olfred's son Guibert, would the damage done by the war finally be recouped in full.Guibert and the Olane Project
Following the appearance of the New Moon in 1227, King Guibert Penderghast would see an opportunity to make his mark on the history of Olane. He recruited the well-known young artificer Andryse Yanny for what would later be dubbed the Olane Project, an astronomical venture to not just understand the New Moon, but to one day travel to it. To this end, Andryse has hired several freelancers to perform various tasks related to the project. The Project has had several unforseen turns, including the unlikely cooperation of Olane and Ushana despite their previously hostile relationship during the Civil War.Government
Olane is a hereditary absolute monarchy, with sole power residing in the Penderghast family and the reigning King. As a result, the trajectory and prosperity of Olane is closely tied to the competency of its current King, and can occasionally experience confusion and disorder if an heir is not readily apparent or if a challenger to the throne emerges.Culture
Olane is a nation at the center of the world, and as such has a diverse population with equally diverse cultures. Olane itself is primarily human and agrarian, and has an established noblility. Much of what is known of Olanian culture outside of its borders are its leisure cities, most notably the city of Veritas. To some, Veritas is all that is known about Olane, and the city is of great importance to both the economic and social well-being of the nation.Geography
Olane rests at the center of the Expanse, and has a mild climate that experiences all seasons relatively equally. The majority of the country is made up of gradual, rolling hills and plains, with small mountains dotting certain areas. Average sized forests of varied deciduous trees can also be found breaking up the landscape.
Founding Date
544
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Predecessor Organization
Demonym
Olanian
Leader
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Location
Notable Members
Friendly
Though strained by the recent civil war, Olane and Ushana are willing to cooperate with each other on the Olane Project.
Friendly
Olane and Kashijan have never had problems beyond small border disputes, and are generally friendly with each other.
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