Amaliij in 1302

OVERVIEW

Amaliij is the world’s largest continent, and possesses the world’s second largest population (after Mirya). It is riven in twain along East/West lines by the Myen’yen Mountains and the Great Khakabi Desert, the largest desert in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the earliest history of the Bho-Jidaen Church, there were two major centers of worship: Caiuhl in the east, and Kalar in the west. For reasons known only to him, Bho-Jidae chose Caiuhl as his seat of worship. Kalar’s influence faded. However, the only safe and reliable passage from east to west lies on the continent’s south central shores, an area frequently targeted by Semyazan raiders, missionaries, and missionary raiders. This made communication between the main temple in Caiuhl and its western brethren unreliable at best.

As the kingdoms of western Amaliij grew wealthier, they increasingly chafed at their supplication to a distant temple that was unable to properly minister or administer all of its peoples. As a result, Kalar (which had become something of a backwater) was elevated to a High Bishopric by the rulers in the west. Riellq, which by that time had become one of the wealthiest cities on the planet, organized a coalition of West Amaliijan kingdoms. They promised that rule from Kalar would guarantee peace, prosperity, and hegemony in the face of potential invasion by Semyazans, or holy war waged by the old believers in Caiuhl.

This arrangement worked well for the nations of Western Amaliij for the first few centuries, despite resistance from Caiuhl and several conflicts with the east that nearly devolved into holy wars. But as more and more states in west central Amaliij became vassals of an ever expanding Riellq, the far western kingdom Sigonda underwent a Great Awakening, which led them to attempt to reconcile the schism with the temple in Caiuhl. This attempted reconciliation became the Two Century War, in which Sigonda was joined by the Malano Kingdom of Abiyarra, which feared that Kalar would threaten their religious independence. A peace was finally brokered in 1200 OLOG. The treaty was called the New Year’s Pact, and it created the modern map of Amaliij.

Western Amaliij

Riellq in 1302

Riellq is the capital city of the Republic of Ugum, though it enjoys such a place of prominence it is sometimes used as a shorthand name for the entire Republic. Riellq has benefitted greatly from its geography. It abuts a warm water port with easy access to the Sea of Almansar, and possesses fertile farmland, filled with busty milkmaids. Its topography has allowed it to maintain independence for its entire history, needing nothing more than a few strategically positioned forts.

In 689, Riellq faced a serious incursion by the Malano, who invaded western Amaliij with the tacit consent of temple in Caiuhl. The Ushan War (as the conflict came to be known), ended with a complete victory for Riellq and its allies. The Malano were repulsed, independence from Caiuhl was reaffirmed, and the city of Malano Holy City of Ushu was occupied by Riellq. The Riellqi set up a puppet state in Ushu, the Ushan Republic, which allowed it to keep the Malano off balance, while extracting wealth from Iyes’sherrie’s most prosperous region.

As is always the case, the costs of occupation eventually outweighed the benefits. Riellq removed its garrisons and left the Ushan Republic to fend for itself. It fell shortly after, destroyed by an army of fanatics from Malanoa. Ushu was sacked, and the foreigners inside its walls were killed. Riellq was unable to do anything for its former puppet. The fall of the Ushan Republic followed quickly on the heels of the death of Empress Agaat III LoGraji. The Empress had stretched Riellqi power to its limits, and her death precipitated several crises.

These crises subsided over time, and Riellq’s natural advantages allowed it continue to rise in prominence. Abundance of resources allowed for the creation of a modern navy and merchant marine fleet, and prominence as a port brought in the money and brainpower necessary to become an early industrializer. It remained the undisputed hegemon in Wester Amaliij, keeping its position even through the brutal fighting of the Two Century War.

Today Riellq finds itself at a crossroads. Its government is secular, but it is not allied with the Bartoni movement. As such it is in the Secular Revolutionary crosshairs. It must decide if it will continue acting as a counterweight to increasing Revolutionary power, or throw in its lot with the Revolution and ride the rising tide.

Kalar in 1302

The home of Riellqi puppet anti-Pape. Not very important.

Abiyarra

Abiyarra was one of the few states outside of Iyes’sherrie to adopt Malano as its primary religion, and is the only major power to outside Iyes’sherrie to have done so. Conversion took place circa 600 OLOG. They are overseen by a very minor Bishopric, who is not considered a Material Prince. Despite their conversion, many in Iyes’sherrie are still wary of the Abiyarrans, carrying memories of their part in Riellqi occupation of Ushu.

In about 1025, Abiyarra joined Sigonda’s fight against Riellq in the Two Centuries War. While Sigonda was fighting for its right to re-establish alignment between its churches and the temple in Caiuhl, the Malano Abiyarra was fighting to maintain its right to religious pluralism. A distant Pape in Caiuhl was far less dangerous that a Riellqi Pape in Kalar. Abiyarra’s entry into the war brought with financial and material support from Iyes’sherrie onto the Twins side, allowing the two upstart states to slug it out with Riellq until 1200.

In 1203, the government of Abiyarra wrote out the Constitution of 1203, and declared Abiyarra an independent republic, the first true republic in the world. Though Malanoa was the official state religion, a large minority of Caiuhl practice and a number of Rizan immigrants pushed a clause of religious tolerance in the constitution. This clause caused a rift with the Temple of Two Flames, further stoking mistrust between Malanoa and the Republican government. Now isolated from both Riellq and Malanoa, Abiyarra attempted to maintain neutrality in world affairs, quietly building up a powerful merchant marine force, and one of the most technologically advanced navies in the world.

In the year 1248, the prime minister of Abiyarra granted a charter to the Ta’mann Bay Company. The Ta’mann Bay Company began setting up trade routes to eastern Valtruvia, to trade timber and furs. But this led the Abiyarran traders and mercenaries into conflict with Sigondan traders who had been exploiting eastern Valtruvia for years by that point. For the next four decades, Abiyarra and Sigonda went from allies to bitter rivals, as both attempted to expand their colonial and trading empires across the world.

Despite possessing one of the world’s great navies, the Republican government refused calls by the Temple of Two Flames aid them in their fight against Tears. Church authorities appealed to them again after the destruction of Malanoa, hoping to enlist their aid in the defense of Yaja. Church authorities were again rebuffed, with the Abiyarrans claiming that their fleet was needed to counter Sigondan aggression. This marked the final break between Republican Abiyarra and the Malano Church.

The conflict between Abiyarra and Sigonda continued to intensify until 1294, when representatives met to negotiate a treaty in Dulno. The Treaty of Dulno, negotiated by Marcus Barton, laid out each nations sphere of influence. Abiyarra’s holdings in Mirya were confirmed, as were the Republic’s ambitions in Iyes’sherrie. The Treaty also recognized Sigonda’s dominion over eastern Valtruvia, and granted the kingdom the right to expand deeper into Amaliij. Finally, the Treaty of Dulno created a formal alliance between Dulno and the Twins (Abiyarra and Sigonda). Abiyarra and Sigonda would afterwards be responsible for keeping Riellqi and Malano raiders out of the west.

In 1299, representatives of the Abiyarra based Ta’mann Bay Co. sailed into Ushu, re-establishing trade links between Abiyarra and the Imishil region of Iyes’sherrie. In 1301, Abiyarra supported the formation of the Ushan Free State, giving them a permanent toe-hold in northern Iyes’sherrie.

Sigonda in 1302

Eastern Amaliij

Eastern Amaliij is principally dominated the Myen’yen Mountains, the Great Khakhabi Desert. While many kingdoms, have managed to flourish in the harsh conditions of Amaliij, none were ever able to grow as prosperous as those in the west. Aside from the temple state of Caiuhl, most kingdoms were small, separated by geographic barriers and barely contained more than a few thousand individuals. After Bho-Jidae’s death, a new political and religious movement called Traditionalism arose in Eastern Amaliij, gaining quick popularity among the rulers on that half of the continent. It is championed most fervently by the Etil-Sintir Empire.

Etil-Sintir in 1302

In 1265, two of Eastern Amaliij’s largest ethnic groups, the Etil and Sint peoples, were merged in a personal union but the governments of the two kingdoms remained mostly separate until the death of Bho-jidae. Rage against Marcus Barton and the sudden loss off Caiuhl's authority threw the kingdom in disarray until the leaders of Etil and Sintir vested their mutual queen with new powers in 1293 and officially declared themselves the Etil-Sintir Empire. Many of the smaller kingdoms and peoples, whose leaders followed the Traditionalist movement, willingly became vassal states under Empress Tionde IV & IX Obergult. Those who didn’t were quickly, and rather unexpectedly, swept over by the combined armies.

By 1297, Etil-Sintir had emerged as one of the world’s great powers, leveraging its wealth and prestige to become one of the most powerful counter weights to the Secular Republic and its allies. Though still grappling with the complexities of governing a large multiethnic empire, Etil-Sintir is growing more confident in its place in the world. It is now attempting to build a coalition against Marcus Barton, making big diplomatic overtures to kingdoms and nations with similar sympathies. In 1300 Etil-Sintir called a meeting of anti-Secularist great powers and met in the Ozólli capital Aman'ar. Etil-Sintir, along with the Kingdom of Luden and the Crescent Confederation, guaranteed the security of Ozóll in a mutual defense treaty called the Concord of Aman'ar.

Like other powers, Etil-Sintir has begun to colonize Valtruvia, taking the long sea route across the Toli Ocean. They have been doing a poor job, due to the distance across the Toli Ocean, and their relative inexperience with colonization. They have also set up colonies in Northern Iyes’sherrie, under the guise of raising up people they consider well suited to Traditionalism.

The capital of Etil-Sintir is Thier'ke, a city which straddles the river that separates the traditional homes of the Etil and Sint people. Before becoming the capital of the Empire Thier'ke was a modest trading city. It was conquered back and forth by the Etil and Sint people numerous times. This history blessed Thier'ke with two things all imperial capitals need: an unusual degree of cosmopolitanism and very large fortifications.