Akhi

"You know, the Akhi get a bad rap for being somewhat... conquest happy, but I've found that the people who live there are just as kind if not kinder than some of the other more peaceful nations. They can just be a bit... intense at times." Finn MacCaul, Traveling Merchant

Akhi's history, much like their empire, is a series of peaks and valleys. From a loose and fragile coalition of barbarian tribes to a glorious empire that covered nearly half a continent to a small, relatively powerless country beset by infighting and international disdain, the Akhi have seen it all. Located south of the West Thulanthi desert, Akhi is a nation defined by pride, passion, and ambition.

Demography and Population

Akhi's 11.3 million inhabitants are almost evenly split between sprawling urban centers and clusters of large scale compounds that watch over swaths of farmland. The majority of its population lives in the verdant plains south of Akhi's Horns, though a some more intrepid groups live in the savanna and valleys north of the mountains. Generally speaking, Akhi's population is on the rise, though it is no where near where it was at the height of their empire.

Technological Level

Perhaps because of their long standing feud with Nyota and their tense relations with other nearby countries, Akhi has been on its own from a technological development standpoint for much of history. That said, their empire did once cover a substantial portion of Uleon, and all of the unique technology developed throughout it was funneled back to their capital, Eilina. Today, the Akhi could best be described as slightly behind the times.

Magical Level

Though they are not masters of magic, the Akhi's single minded devotion to learning offensive spells made them into some of the fiercest battle mages in the world. This, coupled with their above average ability to channel large quantities of Aether into their war machines, allowed them to dominate the early Last War battlefields before the first ASANIS units took the field. Outside of combat, most Akhi's magical abilities are decidedly unremarkable, though those near the Nyotan border use slightly more everyday Aether than the average Ioran.

Culture

by MidJourneyAI

Family Matters

For as long as Akhi culture has existed, it has been commonplace for families to consist of multiple adults caring for large groups of children. These families will often live in large compounds on sizable plots of land, and are largely self sufficient at least as far as food is concerned. Akhi children are still expected to attend public or private schools outside of their homes, but many Akhi consider their family members to be among their best friends. That said, romantic relationships between members of the same family are expressly forbidden.

A Society Without Gender

While no civilization on Iora places much stock in gender, the Akhi are particularly notable because they do not even have a concept of gender in their society. In fact, this aversion towards gender goes so far that their language does not even have gendered pronouns. Everyone in Akhi society is treated as an equal, and if they are to be judged for anything, it is for their accomplishments or lack thereof.

Religion and Philosophy

Despite having no state sponsored religion, many people in Akhi follow a monotheistic religion that reveres an ancient Akhi monarch named Kalu Ulaba. While the actual divinity of Kalu Ulaba is a matter of much debate, they were a real monarch that untied the Akhi in ancient times. This faith, called Kaluism, encourages its followers to respect their family members and to ensure that they are cared for whether they are young or old. It also states that the Akhi should welcome the wider world into their collective family, and that all will eventually join the Akhi in glorious harmony.

Food

Given how verdant the land is south of Akhi's Horns, it is common to find all manner of ingredients in Akhi food. Particular staples include yam, potato, taro, chicken, goat cheese, and grains like rice and barley. Popular fruits and vegetables include mango, plantains, tomatoes, pumpkin, cassava, and many varieties of peas and nuts. When adding spice to their foods, the Akhi tend to gravitate towards high levels of heat, introducing things like red and green chilies, paprika, pili pili peppers, and local herbs to their dishes. Popular deserts include fruit and coffee.
The primary drinks enjoyed in Akhi are coffee with goat milk, black tea, and water. The most popular alcoholic drink in the nation is beer, with most of the nations barley going to breweries around the country. These breweries are also often used as gathering places for families to meet one another and spend time together. Legally speaking, there is no drinking age in Ahki, though children are often discouraged from drinking more than a small amount of alcohol at a given time.
Most food in Akhi is grown in the lands south of Akhi's horns, and families will often own large swaths of farmland that they manage collectively. One day a week, most families will send a contingent into the local town or city to set up a market stall where some will sell what they have produced that week while the others purchase goods to use in the coming week. The most popular day to do this is Adoekarah, though the markets are always bustling regardless of what day one attends them.

Fashion

Like most things in Akhi, fashion is entirely genderless. The majority of Akhi dress in simple robes, dresses, or skirts with draped tops, and their garments are often embellished with gold trim or fringe, leather belts, and embroidered patterns. Most clothing is made from cotton, wool, or synthetic materials, and generally comes in bright colors or stark whites. Jewelry is commonly worn on horns, wrists and on the fingers, though this is seen mostly in the upper echelons of society and less among the common people.

Art

Unlike their Nyotan neighbors to the north, Akhi art is all about ostentatiousness. Bright colors, shining metals, and gaudy embellishments are common in Akhi painting, weaving, and mosaic art. The interiors of well to do Akhi family homes are often covered in colorful tapestries or mosaic patterns crafted by famous artisans, while those less fortunate will have colorful murals or mosaics made by the family themselves. Creating art together is also seen as a great way of spending time with family members, and some families even make their livings off of art commissions.

Architecture

The exteriors of Akhi architecture tend to be relatively simple, mostly constructed from stone, concrete, clay, and stucco, and often feature large windows and double doors to allow mass exit from a building if need be. By contrast, the interiors frequently feature large murals or mosaics created by the family that lives there or by a commissioned group of artists. Most Akhi buildings are also crammed full of items owned by various members of their families, and might come across as cluttered to citizens of other nations.

Music

Traditional Akhi music features a lot of heavy percussion and strings, with lyres and mandolins being common in folk music. Modern movements tend towards the use of electric guitars, more traditional drum kits, and vocals, often featuring multiple singers.

by MidJourneyAI

Holidays and Festivals

Other than the internationally celebrated New Years Festival and the The Day of Remembrance, there are several holidays celebrated in Akhi that are not often celebrated in other parts of the world.

The Unification Festival

The Unification Festival is the largest festival celebrated in Akhi, and is held on the anniversary of the nation's unification by Kalu Ulaba. It involves Akhi families getting together at markets around the nation to sell their finest goods, show off their battle prowess in good natured bouts, and create collaborative works of art that will be featured in community spaces during the following year. Most parts of the nation celebrate Unification Day for around three days, though in some places it can last as long as a week.

Auria's Glory

Once a year, Akhi from all around the nation gather in the country's capital of Eilina to show off their pyromancy in an event called the Auria's Glory Festival. Held in a canyon just outside of the city, the Auria's Glory Festival is held to honor Auria, the ancient god of the sun, with wonderous displays of fire and wind magic. Other draws include fried food, large scale musical performances, and mundane fire stunts like fire eating and fire dancing. This event is attended by many foreign travelers, especially those interested in studying The Aether.

Politics

Internal Politics

Internally, Akhi is a bit of a mess. Constitutionally speaking, the nation is a republic, but rampant corruption and nepotism within the upper echelons of Akhi society have lead to most referring to the nation as an aristocracy. The nation is headed by a cabal of technically elected powerful families, all competing with one another for control of the government and of the population. Scandals, shifts of power, and attempted coups are common in Akhi politics, so much so that the average citizen of the nation would readily admit to not attempting to follow what's happening on any given day. If citizens do have political opinions, they generally have a favored family they wish to hold power and rarely do new families rise to join the political elite. In the aftermath of The Last War, many argue that a shift of leadership is necessary to mend Akhi's relationships with its neighbors, but as of 76 ARF, these movements have been unable to gain much traction.
Economically, the Akhi operate under a free market system. Because of the mess they have made internationally, much of the nations money has been going towards making amends with other countries, leaving the common people of Akhi relatively poor. Some cities located close to the border of Nyota exercise a bit more control over the flow of money, but they are still far freer than Nyota's planned economy.

International Relations

Internationally speaking, the Akhi have made a bit of a mess over the past few centuries to say the least. Through conquest, intimidation, and outright purchasing of other, smaller nations, the Akhi built a large empire that spread across much of western Uleon in the ancient past, though this empire has been steadily shrinking over the course of history as territories rebel or secede. Now, the Akhi find themselves paying reparations to the nations they used to control, leaving little money for their own people.
Because of the verdant climate the Akhi live in and their inability to afford most luxuries, the nation imports very little. They do export a sizable amount of produce to Bau in the south, though some of that has been given freely to make amends for denying them their independence for so many years.

History

The Warring Clans Period

In the earliest days of Akhi history, the nation was little more than a group of barbarian tribes loosely connected by common traditions and physical features. Little is known about this period of history, as the Akhi themselves weren't very interested in keeping track of it and other nations were too worried about being raided to care about the history of their raiders.

The Grand Unification

When a young chieftain whos name has been lost to history declared that they would be the one to finally unite the Akhi clans, many people, including some from their own clan, believed them a fool. But through cunning diplomacy, fierce battle prowess, and a clever mind for money, they were able to do just that. Dubbing themselves the Kalu Ulaba, the leader went on to lead several successful military campaigns into Xohil and Nyota.
After many years, an elderly Kalu Ulaba fell in battle against a Xohili knight in 271 ARS. While the Xohil hoped this would end Akhi's aggressions, this death did not bring despair, but a fervent desire to see the Kalu Ulaba's vision fulfilled. The Kalu Ulaba was succeeded by their children, who each took on leadership of a different part of the empire, allowing it to further expand into the other nations of Uleon.
Over the next five hundred years, the Akhi would spread from their homeland on the coast of the Djenu Sea to the lands of the Megatu in eastern Uleon, with only the Nyotan peninsula and a handful of Soaraian cities not under their banner. They achieved this largely through the use of fire magic and highly trained, well equipped armies, using their skill in battle to overwhelm their opponents and force them to surrender. As the size of empire increased however, so too did the difficulty of maintaining it.

Decline of the Empire

When The Verdance first appeared at the borders of the Akhi Empire in 48 AV, the Akhi found themselves unable to contain it. It quickly spread across their lands towards their capital in the west, only finally stopping in 91 AV when a legion of Akhi pyromancers salted and burned the land between them and the encroaching plant life. By the time this solution was decided on however, it was too late to save the empire, and the nations they once called their own returned to being autonomous states. This barrier against the Verdance held for many years until 243 AV, when a new species of fire resistant weed was able to spread across the wasteland.
By this point the Akhi had lost nearly their entire empire and had been forced back to their homelands and a few surrounding nations. When the decay began to spread late in the The Age of Verdance, it was all they could do to keep what little land they had left under their control.

The Prelude to The Last War

Akhi remained relatively stable for most of The Age of Regrowth, with only a few small conflicts rising up within its borders that were relatively quickly squashed. 
In 561 ARG, after the conquest of the Makhah Confederacy by Leior on Haileh, Akhi was one of the nations called in to intercede along with Askar and Nyota. After successfully defending the borders of Moki'Seh and Nekala alongside Nyotan battlemages, Askari diplomats were able to convince Leior to accept the Treaty of Lhenoa, officially ending the conflict between Leior and the rest of Haileh. But it was through this treaty that Akhi and Leior began to trade, and over the next few hundred years, a friendship would blossom between the two nations.

The Last War

When Queen Malanah Jeziel of Leior launched the first offensive into Moki'Seh territory in 965 ARG, Nyota and Askar began to once again send troops to aid Nekala and Moki'Seh in defending their territory. However, Akhi's friendship with Leior had transformed into an unofficial alliance of sorts, and the current families in power chose to betray their initial agreement. The reasons for this were varied, but chief among them was the hope that once Leior had finished conquering Haileh, they would agree to assist Akhi in reclaiming their former empire.
This breach of an international treaty angered Nyota and Askar, and conflict began to break out between the two and Akhi. A swift assault by Nyota drove the Akhi out of the southern portion of the West Thulanthi Desert, and over the course of the war what is now modern Ulua and Gabadi would be taken from Akhi by Nyota. The Akhi faced further strife when Xohil, seeing that Akhi was distracted fighting other nations, attacked their eastern border, hoping to claim Akhi lands for their own. To their dismay, Akhi was forced to withdraw most of their forces from Leior and put up a strong front in an attempt to keep what little of their empire they had left under their control.
At the end of the war, as punishment for breaking their agreement in the treaty of Lhenoa, the remainder of the Akhi's empire was broken down, forcing them back to their homeland around Akhi's Horns. Not only this, but the Bau states in the southern half of their empire chose to secede completely and form their own nation, leaving Akhi with precious little land.
Today, the nation remains divided between those in power who wish to see their empire grow once more, and those among the populace who would really rather just leave the fighting in the past.

Founding Date

311 ARS

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Eilina

Demonym

Akhiese

Government System

Oligarchy

Economic System

Market economy

Location

Uleon

Neighboring Nations

• Bau
• Nyota
• Xohil

Imports
Technology
Exports
Produce, Artisan Goods, Stone, Clay
Common Physical Traits

• Dark, ashy skin
  
• Light freckles
  
• Tall, slightly curved horns
  
• Dark curly hair.
  
• Dark eyes
  

Average Height
5’6”
Average Weight
160 lbs

by MidjourneyAI