Post by Katori T'elva on Apr 18, 2015 1:20:08 GMT
Land of the Independent
Forty years ago Southern Zoi was home to forty one separate states and hundreds of separate city states with little cultural ties to one another. But after a series of mismanagement of colonial affairs the colonies became enraged with their Ellusian masters. A council was called and soon most of the northern, central, eastern and western states revolted against the Ellusians, demanding nothing less than independence. The south part of the area didn't revolt against the Ellusians and together, the Ellusian and Southern forces fought to put down the rebellion. A long drawn out war - and subsequent uprisings in Proti - brought the war to an end on the side of the Rebels.
The terms of the peace treaty stated that the Ellusians would leave Southern Zoi, the states and city states (including the Southern states that didn't wish to join) would form into the union known as the Land of the Independent. However, many states disagreed over how the country should be run and what came out of it was an extremely weak central government. With the states in dire economic and social circumstances, the disagreement over how the country should be run has once again ignited tensions within the area, with northern states demanding a complete while central and eastern states wish to see the the monarchy gain more strength.
South
Technically separate from the rest of Zoi, this region is both welcoming and harsh. The timber supply was immense and the Ellusians were hungry for it, the first colonies they ever established in this region were funded by four Central Ellusian lords looking to cash in on the resources. Gratuit was established in 1942 and was greeted with a great deal of excitement back home.
However, long before the Ellusians ever arrived the region had been inhabited with an ethnic group known as the Orang-Orang (Pronounced 'Orra-Orra'. a state would adopt the name later), these people had a very different culture and way of life that the Ellusians thought to be barbaric. At first there was conflict, but not even the people of the Orang-Orang could deny the riches the Ellusians brought with them. A society dominated by women, the Orang-Orang took many of the Ellusians back to their small kingdom as husbands and soon the two people were living close together was a dialogue that kept series conflicts from breaking out.
The indigenous people would remain the majority over the region until about a century later when more Ellusians immigrated to the area caused the population to surge. Indeed, upon the second wave of colonization (which was largely Ellusian women coming to be with their husbands) birth rates also exceeded the indigenous people's.
The two main languages in this region is the Tongue and the Kata
1. Gratuit
2. Nouveau
3. Forêt
4. Rachat
5. Suci
6. Tanah
7. Besar
8. Orang-Orang
9. Perkasa
10. Hilang
11. Yang
West
The west could best be described as large swaths of bayous and low laying lands that's constantly pelted by rain. The area is not heavily populated and is mostly immigrants coming over to work on the once incredibly lucrative business of shrimping. The bayous are rich with shrimp, in addition to incredibly large beasts that made this area a cruel place to live.
The area was populated by indigenous people for many centuries and the area was largely untouched by the Uur's wrath that decimated so many people. However the land is not truly large enough to allow immense growth, the largest possible area being within Néos that had plentiful farm land but those indigenous people came from the central area.
The Ellusians that colonized this area are hearty men that came from the Outer Ellusian region. Outer Ellusians would be the most predominant people to colonize most of the regions – exception being the south – and it's these people where the famous Land of the Independent accent comes from.
12. Megaloprepí̱s
13. So̱ti̱ría
14. Néos
15.Gennaíos
Central
The Central region is almost entirely mountain. Indeed, these mountains are some of the deepest in the world. Entire civilizations were built within these rocks, although never reaching large population counts, the harsh mountain area made it undesirable for peoples like the Uur or the Teikoku from venturing too deep into it. The indigenous people here became known as the Aetikno for their strong bond to the Aetos bird – an ancient creature that has traveled the world for as long as Dragons have.
Most Ellusian exploration into the area ended badly. But a determined Ellusian lord put all of his savings into more ventures with the idea that there was gold within these mountains, gold that he predicted to be even larger than the famed Golden Hills in Proti (this confusion came from a misinterpretation from locals). The Lord put everything he had into it and even joined the venture himself, traveling deep into the mountain in search of both civilization and riches.
They found no riches they had initially hoped to find but they did come into contact with the ancient people. These people were so unique looking to the Ellusians and the people welcomed -although cautiously into their homes. As winter came the Ellusians ended up staying with the people, culture was traded and when spring came the Ellusians went no further.
The Lord famously remarked that 'he went searching for riches beyond his wild imagination and he found it. The riches being not gold or silver but the most beautiful people I have ever set eyes upon. Not unkindly like the Orang-Orang but pleasant on the eyes, like glorious people crafted by the Emperor's will'. The Lord – having spent all of his money on the venture – stayed in the village, married into the clan's leadership and adopted a new name – the House of Aetos was born.
Sthénos is the seat of the King of the Land of the Independent.
16. Ttang
17. Sthénos
East
The east is the most populated region in the Land of the Independent and is largely where the revolt occurred to overthrow their Imperial masters. The area is rich in resources and the rivers the stretch up and down the region make it a vital trading hub. Before the revolt this region had some of the fastest growing cities in the world.
The area was governed by many dozens of tribes but had been from time to time subject to the rule of an Uur's Chief. Overtime Uur culture and language eclipsed local culture and customs and the people lived in fear of any further raids by the nomadic people. The Ellusians came in absolute force, driven by the urge of further colonization and competing for land against their rivals, hundreds of thousands poured into the rich lands. Cities were set up by the dozens as rich Ellusians spent their fortunes in the 'new land' but soon the growth was cut off when the Uur appeared...
Colonies were wiped out by the Uur, settlements burned and people carried off in the dead of the night. When stories came back to Ellusia of such events it enraged the entire population, the mere idea of these barbaric people running off with Ellusia inspired an anger like no other.
For the first (and only) time it also brought corporation between the Northern Ellusian Empire and the Southern Ellusian Republic (which was setting up colonies of their own and also being raided by the Uur). The Ellusians sent thousands of troops into the region and raised an even larger army to face off against the Uur.
The Uur did not operate like the Ellusians and often sought to avoid devastating battles. This prolonged the war, making it costly and not loved by the public. What it did serve to do was fuel further colonization, the soldiers who came over saw the opportunity for free land and new options. Lured by exotic women and the idea of being their own land owner (which was largely unheard of in Ellusia) caused many of the soldiers to stay in the region.
While the Uur was eventually pushed more north the land would constantly be under threat from Uur raids.
18. Majimag
19. Useon
20. Geochilge
21. Elron
22. Déntro
23. Néa Patrída
24. Vrontí̱
25. Ouranó
26. Chrysí̱
27. Aktí̱
28 Chrysós
29. Néa Bulkulia
North
The north is the most fertile region in all of Zoi. In fact, before the war for Independence took place the region supplied the continent with almost all of its food. The north is also the birth land of the Uur and while the Uur and the States are currently at peace they have historically struggled against each other for centuries.
The region is also predominantly indigenous with most of the population of mixed race (Uur and Ellusian). It's most culturally mixed as well, given immigrants from all over Ellusia and the already rich Uur culture, the cities are like no other in Zoi.
There are three national languages – the Tongue, the Whisper and the Order (Duul)
30. I-Méchri
31.O-Wáchos
32.Kalithal
33. I-Dexiá
34. Rocho
35. Pykni
36. O-Fóvas
37. Ypéro
38. Süüliin Gazar
39.Deed
40. Daichin Ulsyn
41. Fal
42. Fóros
Map credited to Vincent and Summer
