Elessia

Lands of Elessia and Presepe
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Faith Blooms the Strength of her People
Capital and largest city	Citaviola
Official languages	Penninsular
Religion	86% Fiorist 9% Morist 4% Perendist 1% Other
Demonym(s)	Elessian
Government	Theocratic directorial illiberal republic
Legislature	Governing Assemblies
• Upper house	Apostolic Quorum
• Lower house	Presidium of the Faithful
Confederation
Population
• 2023 estimate	22,360,000
• 2015 census	25,755,800
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+544
Internet TLD	.es

Elessia, officially the Lands of Elessia and Presepe, is a country located in Occidental Auressia along the Hemetrian Sea. It is surrounded by the Hesperian Ocean to the west, Hemetrian Sea to the east, Sortenza to the south, and other Auressian states to the north. More than half of its population of 26 million are centered around the seven major cities of Citaviola, the largest and the nation's capital, Presepe, Castellu-Sud, Viridoram, Petranera, Boscusecu, and Punente. Elessia is majority Fiorist, though there are significant Perendist and Morist minorities. It is a Theocracy governed by the Communal Fiorist Church, nominally under the principles of Theodemocracy.

The ancient city-states of Vetus Portum (now Viridoram) and Petranera laid the foundations for what would become Elessia around 1200 BCE. They, along with other cities, were later absorbed by the First Sabarine Empire between 413 and 330 BCE into the provinces of Lidomale and Hasena. The region saw numerous changes in control, including a period under the Hassab following the decline of the First Sabarine Empire, before becoming part of the Second Sabarine Empire. Elessia re-emerged as a collection of city-states after the fall of the Second Empire, leading to the formation of the Duchy of Elessia in the early 18th century through confederation. Concurrently, the Fiorist religious movement rose, profoundly influencing the region's culture and beliefs. Elessia aligned with the Coalition during the First Great War and later allied with Palia during the Second Great War, only to experience a swift defeat. Post-war democratization efforts were undermined by corruption and the resurgence of the Communal Fiorist Church, leading to an ongoing conflict with anti-regime forces. By 2023, Elessia's embrace of authoritarianism and economic struggles resulted in one of the lowest standards of living in Auressia.

History

The first cities in what would become Elessia date back to antiquity, with ancient city states of Vetus Portum (now Viridoram) and Petranera dating back to as far as 1200 BCE. Between 413 and 330 BCE, the city states would be conquered or annexed by the First Sabarine Empire. Soon after, the cities were organized into the provinces of Lidomale and Hasena, which would become part of the core imperial lands during most of its history. By the late 6th century, however, invaders from the South and instability within the empire would see most of the peninsula fall to the Hassab. Eventually the lands would be reconquered by the Second Sabarine Empire.

As the influence of the Second Empire waned in the peninsula, Elessia would once again be broken into city-states. In 1702, the cities of Citaviola, Viridoram, and Boscusecu would sign a treaty of confederation, creating the Duchy of Elessia. Petranera would be acquired from Sortenza after the signing of the Treaty of Capulia, and soon after the eastern city of Punente would join under threat of invasion. During the turn of the 19th century, instability would boil over in the cities of Petranera and Citaviola into an open republicanist revolt. This would eventually be suppressed, though not before a group of refugees, fleeing the fighting and destruction, made their way into the ##Desert## and founded a small commune. Having been led by ##Founder##, a man claiming to have a spiritual connection with a yet unknown god, this group would become the core of the new Fiorist religious movement. By 1860, this new faith had spread across Elessia, supplanting local Perendist and Morist belief.

During the First Great War, Elessia aligned with the Coalition. The course of the war would result in significant militarization of the nation. This would continue to intensify in the interwar years as nationalism increased. Soon after, Lanzism would sweep through Elessia and result in a close partnership between it and Palia during the Second Great War. As Elessia's militarization was focused on appearance of might, rather than true power projection, its war effort would collapse after the Battle of Montigné and the coalition invasion.

Economy

Under the Blossoming Flowers economic policy, the economy is divided between state-owned entities and cooperatives. Its primary industries are resource extraction and refinement, including rare earth metals in its mountainous west, Template:Offshore drilling in the Hesperian Ocean, and clay along the coast. It also has a sizable manufacturing industry, especially in the sectors related to the military. Owing to internal strife, cooling of trade relations with its neighbors in recent years, and economic mismanagement, Elessia's economy is currently in the middle of a Template:Economic collapse, resulting in its standard of living being one of the lowest in Auressia.

Government and Politics

Foreign Relations

Elessia's relationship with its neighbors is strained by its historic suppression of minority religions, shift toward authoritarian government policies, and the ongoing internal conflict which has resulted in an exodus of Elessian refugees. Prior to its suspension from the Occidental Confederation, it saw increased friction with its peers over fundamental disagreements with the organization's trajectory. This position has been tempered in recent years by its close ties with Sulatia and support for the international socialist movement, which has led to the country opening itself up more to international cooperation in an effort to counter its economic downturn and seek support against its ongoing insurgency.