Unified Sera

The United States of Sera Syra'yte doh Pro'ven Uso
Flag
Motto: Not For Self, But Country
Anthem: I Vow to Thee, My Country
Present Day map of Unified Sera
Capital	Kito'Bahari
Largest city	Ayotola
Official languages	Seran, Latin, Kiswahili, English
Demonym(s)	Seran
Government	Federal Constitutional Monarchy
• Monarch	Skolas Tu'Aruc ya Koga
• Prime Minister	Akan Khalfani ya Mbaku
• Speaker of the Senate	Gabadeli Uyise ya Koga
• Secretary of State	Julius Clamentius ya Latinius
• Secretary of War	Jabari Mansa ya Mbaku
• Secretary of the Treasury	Djene Laku ya Sakhile
• Chief of Staff	Mufari Sifa ya Koga
• Upper house	The Senate
• Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Establishment
• Seran Tribes settle a small portion of the Seran coast	circa 1200 B.C.
• The Quadrumvirate comes into power	circa 1386 A.D.
• Unification Day	June 7, 1741
Area
•	825,400 sq mi (2,138,000 km2)
Population
• 2020 estimate	105,000,000
• Density	127.27/sq mi (49.1/km2)
GDP (nominal)	2021 estimate
• Total	1.55 trillion
• Per capita	18,600
HDI (2019)	0.89 very high
Currency	Unity (UNI)
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy

Unified Sera, officially known as the The United States of Sera, Syra'yte doh Pro'ven Uso, and is a federal constitutional monarchy located on the Adula continent in the Coalition of Crown Albatross. It has 24 states after the inclusion of the previously unincorporated territory of Xanthus was admitted to the union in 2021. It shares land borders with Peoratia, Buckingla, Zalluabed, Apatonia, and Togaria, with maritime borders shared with Austrolis and Timeria along the southwestern arm of the Albarine Sea and the Sea of Austrolis. Geographically, Unified Sera has a sizeable coastline in the Sea of Austrolis with several beaches, dockyards, and shipping ports that extend Seran commerce into the greater world. This climate and geography changes the further inland you go with areas such as tropical jungle, savannah, and mountainous steppe regions taking over the landscape.

With Ayotola as the most populous city in the country, Kito’Bahari (‘’the Ocean’s Jewel’’) serves as the national capital and is located in the Seran state of Kado near the northwestern portion of the country. The capital is home to the Palace of Kings; the official residence and seat of power of the monarch which lies within the ancient homeland of the Koga tribespeople. The other branches of government are split between the ancestral homelands of the other tribes with the legislative branch located in the Latinius home of Aeminium, the judicial in the Mbaku homeland of Anansi, and the executive in the Sakhile’s origin Shaka. The separation of the 4 parts of Sera’s government was an integral part to Sera’s founding. The Quadrumvirate desired a unified country where they would all be equals and therefore placed each branch of government in the four tribes that made up what would become Sera.

Approximately 3,000 years ago ancient peoples hailing from what would become Timeria sailed to southern Adula and settled the coastlines and interior of south Adula and formed their own tribes, tongues, and cultures as they made their home in Adula. The United States of Sera originated from the Union of Seran Tribes which formed the basis of the modern Seran government. The majority of Unified Sera’s GDP comes from the manufacturing, arms manufacturing, agriculture, and technology industries which play a major part in employing, feeding, and equipping the Seran people. Smaller amounts of revenue is generated from Mercenaries, ship-building, and hemp-based agriculture industries.

The United States of Sera is a federal constitutional monarchy with four separate branches of government, including a bicameral legislature. It is a member of the Coalition of Crown Albatross. Although it has several ethnicities, its population has been profoundly shaped by centuries of tribal rule and warfare resulting in a very sturdy and martial-minded people. The U.S.S. holds in high regard the ideals of international economic freedom, quality of life, democracy, personal freedom, education, and human rights; it has low levels of perceived corruption. However, the country has been criticized for inequality related to caste and social status, wealth, and income; use of capital punishment such as throwing convicted persons to lions.

Etymology

The word "Sera" is the English version of the word Syra, which in itself is descended from the earlier word Syra'yte which can be translated to "Sky People". The term originates from the Koga who are known for their devout belief in the Sky Faith.

History

Pre-Discovery (10,000 B.C.E.-1700 A.D.)

Human development and migration

The area that would become Sera was originally settled by migrant peoples sailing from parts of ancient Timeria to the continent of Adula. These peoples would eventually settle the islands, inlands, highlands, valleys, and coastline and establish their own cultures and tribes. The peoples settling the coastline developed a close relationship with the ocean and fishing.

Ancient painting depicting tribespeople fishing along the coastline.

Anthropologists have found extensive evidence of boats capable of sailing in the open water with room for fishing nets and up to four men. There have also been discoveries of boats that could even sail across the Sea of Austrolis to the neighboring continent which sparked theories that stated that the first peoples in the region are closely related to those living in modern day Timeria.

A painting found by the University of Sankore depicting a tribesman farming.

Further inland the land is more fertile and therefore allowed the people who settled in the region to become more agrarian and settle more permanently on the land. Evidence suggests that the ground was used extensively to grow crops such as wheat, barley, corn, beans, onions, and other staple rotational crops. Moreover, bones and rudimentary artwork depicts some grazing from cattle.

An ancient spearhead likely used for defense or hunting. Recovered by the University of Sankore in 1812.

In the Savannah and highland areas, the lack of plentiful rainfall and fertile ground forced those living in the area to turn to hunting for food. These people followed the migration of pack animals in the region and lived a highly nomadic lifestyle. Anthropologists believe that they supplemented their diet with wild grains, berries, and fruits found in certain parts of the region. However, their diet mostly consisted of consuming most of the animal parts to utilize the minerals and vitamins within the tissues. As there were no permanent structures due to their lifestyle, what is known of these people are only what was passed down through oral tradition and what was left behind in the form of tools, bones, and weapons.

Early civilizations

The Koga people took up residence in the north-western portion of the continent. The Koga, a deeply religious tribe with particularly strong family units, revered the god Tiyamike and the sky. This is believed to be due to their close connection with agriculture and farming, which allowed the Koga to settle the land they lived upon and build some of the first towns and villages in ancient Sera. They traded extensively with the Latinius tribe to their south-west and defended each other from the more warlike clans to their east and hostile invaders from across the sea. Although the Latinius are believed to be native to lands outside of Adula, they quickly established themselves along the coast and displayed exceptional fishing prowess.

As neither tribe particularly placed a major focus on war and combat ability and saw war as a means to an end, they join together in a more stable union as the two tribes established trade networks. It is believed that these networks exchanged mostly foodstuffs and tools, primarily items that the other tribe lacked due to geographic limitations. These trade networks would eventually lead to the creation of the radical idea of "professional soldiers"; the first instance of the institution in South Adula from a new warrior caste. Some of Sera's first cities were built during this time; though many of these cities would be abandoned due to constant war and fighting between the tribes.

The Mbaku and Sakhile tribes aligned themselves due to the harshness of the environment wherein which they lived. A hardy people by nature, the two tribes relied on grazing migratory animals in the Mbaku controlled mountainous regions and the harsh, dense jungle of the Sakhile to provide enough food to feed their chiefdoms and warriors. Because food and resources were so limited in these areas, the Mbaku and Sakhile routinely left individuals with undesirable traits to die alone. This promoted a highly stratified society where the worth of an individual was proportionally tied to how well they could handle themselves in combat or benefited society. They routinely raided neighbors for food, slaves, and other valuable resources that could not be found within either of their domains. This would consistently put them at odds with the Koga and Latinius to their west and would bring about decades of on and off skirmishes between the four groups.

Eventually, after several hundred years of fighting, war, and brief periods where the tribes worked as a loose coalition against a shared foe, the rising threat of other neighboring tribes, kingdoms, foreigners, and colonial powers would bring the four tribes together as a loose confederation headed by the four chieftains of each tribe as a council. This council would balance the ever evolving demands of their people and the growing external threats until the formation of the Union of Seran Tribes in 1386.

As a more single nation, the four chieftains formed the Quadrumvirate and ruled over each of their own lands while also providing aid to the other members of the union; whether it be in the form of food, defense, or resources. Together, the Quadrumvirate was able to fortify the tribal borders and solidify their hold on their territory in the Seran heartland. Although this union was not perfect due to hundreds of years of prior tribal fighting and cultural differences, the discord would never rise to armed conflicts. When the Quadrumvirate was formed, the chieftains agreed that if any one member of the confederation waged war against another, then the other members of the confederation would rally to the defense of the defender.

For several hundred years the Quadrumvirate and their children ruled and guided the Union of Seran Tribes and defended the land against aggressors both foreign and domestic.

18th-19th Centuries

Formation of the United States

After roughly 400 years of Quadrumvirate rulership, the shifting global landscape necessitated a more unified nation going forward. The Quadrumvirate was not keen on losing power, however they came to the decision that in order to move forward, they would need a unified voice. They agreed therefore that it would be unfair for any one tribe to be placed in supreme command as the king. The only solution was a compromise wherein which the Mbaku and Sakhile tribes would select a man and woman from the Koga and Latinius tribes to serve as Sera's first king and queen. The Mbaku selected the son of the Kogan Chieftain: Kwame Suluku Turae while the Sakhile chose the daughter of a priestess in the Latinius tribe: Carlotta Arucus. Their union, as agreed upon by the four chieftains, would see the formation of the Seran royal family which persists to this day. Their names were combined to form "Tu'Aruc", a powerful name held by each king and queen. The two would officially begin rulership after the deaths of the four ruling chieftains.

A portrait done in the 1794 depicting King Kwame Tu'Aruc.

Although the king and queen were selected by the Quadrumvirate, they faced fierce opposition from those who would lose power through a monarchy. Namely, powerful vassals who would have ascended to the position of chieftain through the Quadrumvirate system, heirs, and potential heirs. This resistance to the monarchy resulted in individuals vying to control the monarchy, plots against the monarchs, denial of authority, and even outright sedition. Eventually, this would culminate in the formation of factions that began to stockpile weaponry and spread secessionist propaganda. In order to avoid civil war with the vassals, King Kwame and Queen Carlotta brought the disgruntled vassals and faction leaders together and proclaimed that they could remain rulers in their own right. With the aid of the vassals, they crafted the Articles of Federation.

The first Articles of Federation provided legal protections for tribal royalty, protected the institution of slavery, and reinforced the harsh practice of exiling "undesirables" as was practiced by the Mbaku tribe. Despite the concessions, they were able to avoid all-out civil war. In the signing of the Articles of Federation, the Confederation of Seran Tribes became the United States of Sera; a federal constitutional monarchy.

Geography and Climate

Geography and Topology

The climate of the United States of Sera varies due to changes in latitude, and a range of geographic features, including mountains and deserts. Generally, the climate of the U.S.S. becomes warmer and drier the further east one travels away from the coastline and towards the mountains, and cooler and more humid the further west you travel.

The climate map for the Seran landmass.

To the south, much of the U.S.S. has a colder, dry temperate climate in the interior lower southern states (Etoule to Nansa), to warm to hot desert and semi-arid climates in the southeastern states. East of 100°W, the climate is dry and exceedingly hot in northern areas where mountains jut upwards along the eastern border, transitioning into a humid temperate climate from the Southern Plains and lower areas, or a dry temperate area in the north-east.

A humid tropical climate is found in the interior of Sera just off of the western coast that extend from north to southward to approximately southern Mwindo. Along the Sea of Austrolis, the humid tropical climate zone extends southward into central Mwindo. Higher-elevation areas of the Nakane Mountain Range, the Black Cliffs, the Musa Mountain Range, and the Jakesh Mountain Range are all hot steppe areas. Coastal areas of Xanthus stretching all the way down to the coast of Etoule including the areas of the Seran Peninsula all have a tropical monsoon climate.

The primary drivers of weather in the contiguous United States of Sera are the seasonal change in the solar angle, the migration north–south of the subtropical highs, and the seasonal change in the position of the polar jet stream.

The elevation/topograhpical map for the Seran landmass.

States

The state system is a direct result of Sera's tribal roots. Originally, the four tribes that resided in what would become Sera lived under a tribal confederation within their respective tribes. Each village made up the larger confederation under a chieftain who led the entire tribe. When the Quadrumvirate formed the Union of Seran Tribes, the villages that formed the states in each confederation became a state in and of themselves, which led to the first twelve states in Sera. Although technically the Union of Seran Tribes is a different government than the United States of Sera of today, the United States of Sera still observes the date that the states originally joined what would become the federation some 250 years later.

The 24 states that make up the Seran federation without labels.

There are currently 24 states recognized to be part of the Seran federation. The states themselves are able to govern themselves and make laws respecting their citizens, cities, and communities largely without federal interference. However, state laws are superseded by federal law, and in the case of discrepancies between state and federal law, federal law must always be followed. In any other circumstance, individuals inhabiting, traveling through, or visiting these states must respect the local law and authorities therein as long as the laws do not go against the rights laid out in the Articles of Federation or federal law.

The 24 states that make up the Seran federation with labels.

The governments of these states are led by three separate governmental entities: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary and modeled after the processes used to govern the federal government. The branches, although separate, operate together and with equal checks and balances to ensure governmental abuse is kept at a minimum. The legislature is led by a body of state senators and representatives whose numbers can range from a dozen to one hundred or more depending on the state constitution. Each state has a single Governor and Deputy Governor who serve as the chief executive of the state. These executives serve 4-year terms and are subject to their state constitutions. These branches are also kept in check by state constitutions that lay out restrictions on power and authority given and practiced by these entities. Private citizens vote in elections to select who will occupy these positions in a "ranked" system similar to how the government is run on the federal level. The borders of the states greatly resemble the ancestral borders of the tribes that originally lived there, while some have borders that coincide with the flow of rivers such as the border between Kado and Carthage. Only the state of Xanthus has borders not based on geographic features such as rivers.

State	Capital	Population	Admission into Federation	Abbreviation
Aeminium	Invicta	4,112,000	June 7th, 1386	AE
Carpathia	Novarii	3,543,000	June 7th, 1386	CA
Augusta	Jullii	1,246,000	June 7th, 1386	AA
Reginum	Roma	2,132,000	June 7tth, 1386	RM
Istrus	Hadrian	1,002,000	March 15th, 1399	IS
Rhodes	Scipii	875,000	December 12th, 1491	RH
Kado	Kito'Bahari	7,213,000	June 7th, 1386	KD
Etoule	Andile	711,000	June 7th, 1386	ET
Mwindo	Zola	684,000	January 8th, 1946	MO
Shaka	Mombasa	3,212,000	June 7th, 1386	SK
Enyebi	Djenne	1,823,000	June 7th, 1386	EI
Sifya	Kaang	1,473,000	June 7th, 1386	SY
Njogu	San	725,000	May 1st, 1543	NU
Mali	Sankore	4,824,000	June 7th, 1386	MI
Xanthus	Arverni	183,000	July 19th, 2021	XS
Zulu	Armansi	4,523,000	June 7th, 1386	ZU
Mansa	Jengo	821,000	September 12th, 1403	MA
Anansi	Axsum	1,247,000	August 1st, 1553	AN
Carthage	Ayotola	8,523,000	June 7th, 1386	CE
Jakesh	Ngai	524,000	January 22nd, 1723	JH
Yobu	Takhar	348,000	February 8th, 1881	YU
Nakane	Sheba	256,000	November 20th, 1901	NK
Musa	Zambezi	211,000	January 1st, 1922	MU
Kefa	Nyaminyami	430,000	January 1st, 1922	KE

Cities

An official map denoting Sera's largest cities (red), the capitols of the 24 states (gold), the largest towns (blue), and the national capitol.

10 Largest Metropolitan areas in Unified Sera by population
No.	CMA City	Population
1	Ayotola	5,843,000
2	Kito'Bahari	4,626,000
3	Sankore	2,786,000
4	Memphis	1,523,000
5	T'Chaka	1,289,000
6	Myalla	1,181,000
7	Abyssia	967,000
8	Mombasa	823,000
9	Djenne	489,000
10	Axsum	433,000

Family Structure

The traditional family structure in the United States of Sera is considered a family support system involving two married individuals who have reached the age of majority either federally, or at the state level, and are providing care and stability for their biological or adopted offspring. Serans have a particularly strong relationship with family and the members within, as most Serans are religious and place heavy emphasis on the rearing and development of children, parents typically seek the best for their children. On average, societal and generational pressures cause these family units to put the needs of their children ahead of their own where possible in an attempt to get the most desirable traits to manifest within their offspring.

Language

Seran is the de facto national language of the United States of Sera. Although there are four official languages at the federal level, The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Act requires immigrants to learn and be at least conversational in Seran or English. At the state level, many states have declared one of the four federally recognized languages to be their official language. Only one state in Sera's eastern portion recognizes a non-federally recognized language to be the official language of the state. In the state of Kefa the native language of Ze'tecan is spoken by the majority of the population living in the state.

According to the Seran Community Survey, in 2017 some 43 million people (out of the total U.S. population of 50.5 million) spoke two languages at home. Among these, Seran was the most spoken with Latin. More than 23 million spoke English at home, making it the second most commonly used language in the United States of Sera. Other languages spoken at home by one million people or more include Kiswahili (2.8 million), Ze'tecan (1 million), and Yoruba (1.4 million).

The most widely taught foreign languages in the United States of Sera in terms of enrollment numbers from kindergarten through university undergraduate education, are English (around 7.2 million students), and Timerian (1.5 million).

Religion

See article: Sky Faith

Religions in Unified Sera
Sky Faith			86.93%
Islam			5.2%
Christianity			4.8%
Other			3.07%
Numbers from the Unified Sera Census Bureau

Cults

The Sky Faith has several cults that emphasize certain aspects of the central dogma. Particularly, they tend to emphasize certain aspects or pillars of the faith be it reincarnation of the individual or universe, death, "true death", the spirits, or the ancestors. Certain cults such as The Brotherhood of God merge the belief system from Christianity or Islam into the foundation of their faith. Other cults such as The Broken Cycle encourage members to pursue the aspect of "true death" in order to break free from the cycle of constant death and rebirth. Membership among these cults range from a few dozen or less to a few thousand, however none are considered to be "popular". Although these cults are generally unpopular with most acolytes, there are several that have come into relative prominence over recent years.

The Brotherhood of God

The Brotherhood of God
Kufari wa De'nafu
Abbreviation	BoG
Type	Cult
Classification	Neo-Monotheism
Scripture	The Writings
Governance	Congregation
Language	English, Seran, Latin
Headquarters	Takhar, Yobu, Unified Sera
Founder	Liam Jennings
Origin	March 15th, 1974 Takhar, Yobu, Unified Sera
Separated from	Sky Faith
Branched from	Christianity, Islam, Sky Fath, Judaism
Members	10,497
Tax status	Non-exempt
Publications	The Writings

The Brotherhood of God, Kufari wa De'nafu, and was founded on March 15th, 1974 by Liam Jennings in his hometown of Takhar, Yobu and is the largest of the cults practiced in Sera. Originally raised as a protestant Christian by his parents, Jennings became intrigued with the Sky Faith after becoming exposed to its teachings in middle school by his classmates. This would eventually culminate in Jennings attending University to study World Religions and earning a Doctorate from the University of Sankore.

During his studies, Jennings found some similarities between the Sky Faith and his own personal belief in Christianity and became infatuated with the story of a Shaman speaking to Tiyamike, the supreme creator deity. As the story goes, the Shaman asked Tiyamike why there were so many different faiths across the world, to which Tiyamike responded that "faith and religion are simply different fibers that make up the same cloth; the canvas of life and the universe that form one unified existence. None are isolated from the other".

After hearing the story, Jennings rationalized that his own personal faith in Christianity and his knowledge of Islam and Judaism could be reconciled with the Sky Faith without sacrificing many of the central tenants of the other. In essence, he felt that what is described in Sky Faith teachings and the dogma of other monotheistic religions could be combined into a centralized, reformed format. Thus, he collect a group of his closest friends, colleagues, and family to create the first congregation of the Brotherhood of God. Together, the group selected specific teachings from the holy books of the parent religions and condensed them into a single volume known as "The Writings".

The Writings therefore serve as the primary source of sermons and missionary work done by the BoG across Sera and was published two years after Jennings formed the original congregation in 1976.

The Broken Cycle

The Broken Cycle
Placeholder
Type	Death Cult
Classification	Neo-Monotheism
Orientation	counter-culture
Scripture	The Black Book
Theology	Monotheism, Demonology
Governance	Hierarchical
The Speaker	Unknown
Language	English, Seran, Latin
Headquarters	Ngai, Jakesh, Unified Sera
Founder	Akande Tokunbo
Origin	October 15th, 1983 Ngai, Jakesh, Unified Sera
Separated from	Sky Faith
Branched from	Demonology
Absorbed	The People's Authoritarian Front
Members	Unknown, approx. 5,000
Tax status	Non-exempt
Publications	The Black Book Broken Cycle Brochures
Slogan	"Life cannot be complete without death."

The Broken Cycle, *PLACEHOLDER*, or *PLACEHOLDER* is an organized cult founded in Ngai, Jakesh, Unified Sera on October 15th, 1983 and has approximately 5,000 total members across the Seran nation. Founded by Akande Tokunbo, The Broken Cycle was created upon the foundation of being a counter-culture movement in a similar fashion of Luciferianism or Satanism. Many of the original adherents to the Broken Cycle did not worship The Adversary in Sky Faith tradition, but instead used the organization as a way to rebel against established Seran customs, religions, and beliefs during the counter-culture phenomenon of the 1980s. However, as the counter-culture phase began to fade in the early 2000's, the group began to fall off into obscurity. Akande Tokunbo would go on to become a devote Catholic after publicly leaving the organization in 2002, thus depriving the organization of leadership.

Due to the departure of the Cycle's founder, many believed that the organization would disband entirely by the end of 2003. Yet, instead of disbanding, the Broken Cycle found new members in the form of casteless Serans and individuals who actively worshipped the Adversary. The position originally held by Tokunbo would be replaced with "The Speaker" who is thus far unidentified by Seran authorities. It is believed that the function and teachings of the cult greatly shifted after new leadership took over sometime in late 2003, as the cult began to actively attempt to recruit and convert people at the beginning of 2004.

The belief system of the Broken Cycle places heavy emphasis on the concept of "true death", the concept of one dying permanently and without reincarnation or resurrections as they believe life is cheapened and devalued without a definitive end. Therefore they attempt to break free of this cycle by living in ways that are usually frowned upon in Seran Sky Faith tradition and actively partake in hedonistic lifestyles and rituals. Due to this, the Broken Cycle

Publications

Government

Senate Graph 2021.

  Koga: 16 seats

  Mbaku: 11 seats

  Sakhile: 12 seats

  Latinius: 7 seats

Chamber of Representatives Graph 2021.

  Koga: 112 seats

  Mbaku: 109 seats

  Sakhile: 106 seats

  Latinius: 108 seats

Royal Cabinet

Placeholder

Office	Incumbent	Took Office
Secretary of State	Julius Clamentius ya Latinius	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of the Treasury	Djene Laku ya Sakhile	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of War	Jabari Mansa ya Mbaku	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of the Interior	Gaius Decimus ya Latinius	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of Agriculture	Amari Sensa ya Koga	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of Labor	Palus Legatus ya Latinius	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of Commerce	Musa Denga ya Sakhile	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of Health and Human Services	Uyise Ubuntu ya Koga	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of Transportation	Djene Jenne ya Koga	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of Energy	Lucius Commodus ya Latinius	November 29th, 2019
Secretary of Education	Maxima Opis ya Latinius	November 29th, 2019
Director of Aegis	Badu Ayeh ya Mbaku	November 29th, 2019
Director of the Seran Space Agency	Kobi Sarbei ya Mbaku	November 29th, 2019
Director of the Department of National Security	Decimus Marius ya Latinius	November 29th, 2019

Military

See article: Seran Armed Forces