Cartulia

Holy Empire of Cartulia Bazhate la'Cartulia कार्टुलियाको पवित्र अत्याचार
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Anorfod." "Immortality."
Anthem: "Iblesi'Waltzenknecht" "Dance of the Iblesians"[1]
Map of Cartulia.
Capital and largest city	Caer Thorostravan
Official languages	Iblesian
Recognised national languages	Xedan
Ethnic groups	97% Iblesi Dawi, 3% Other
Demonym(s)	Cartulian
Government	Absolute Monarchy
• Bazh Tyrant	Virastaviran III
• N'Bazh Heir Apparent	Morrostovrir the Grey
• Ruling House	Zhurgannan
Independent (Sovereign)
• Oaths of the Bruinkanz	1st Frir 1 ICC
• Oaths of Irkangthanz	15th Thrurn 1 ICC
• Submission of the Gruningsanth	12th Frourn 4 ICC
• Book of Laws	Ongoing
Population
• Estimate	5.2 million
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	3,770,000,000 Sigils
• Per capita	725 Sigils
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	377,000,000 Talents (72.5 Talents)
Currency	Talent (T)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy

The Holy Empire of Cartulia (Iblesian: Bazhate la'Cartulia, more commonly shortened to Cartulia, is a Dawi nation located in southern continental Bezek. Cartulia shares a land border with the Human nation of Ras Vertaz to the west, and the Human nation of Olivel to the east. Mainland Cartulia is located on the island of Iblesia a short distance off the southern coast of Bezek, however the majority of the nation's land area is located on mainland Bezek to the north. The border with Ras Vertaz is defined by the line of the Zangurt River while the far border with Olivel is delineated by the Saangus Ridge. The Holy Empire is an absolute monarchy with its capital city, Caer Thorostravan, located on the island of Iblesia; Caer Thorostravan is mostly a subterranean city occupying the majority of the island. The majority of Cartulia's urban centres can be found underground, with the exception of harbours and ports which tend to be built into sea cliffs and havens to take advantage of the natural terrain. Cartulia has a population of about 5.2 million people, the majority of whom are Dawi.

Cartulia has been inhabited by Dawi for an unknown period of time; it is known that they were already present at the beginning of the First Era XSC because written language was adopted by the Dawi quite early on and much of this original writing was carved in stone. Cartulian historians from the Ack'Nanogh in Caer Thorostravan succeeded in deciphering the earliest known Dawi script found in modern day Cartulia, known as the Iblesian Progenitor Script two hundred years ago in 622 ICC which enabled them to read historic accounts of the Dawi inhabitants. Known Cartulian history has it that the Dawi were divided into Thurhata, petty kingdoms ruled over by a series of powerful clan. Though the petty kingdoms were separate political entities the Dawi of the area are believed to have been part of a larger cultural group which formed the basis for the modern Iblesian culture and race. Around 900 years ago the Thurh (lit. King) of Thorostravan, Sophrustrvanrinam I, began the process of actively uniting the Iblesian Dawi and 822 years ago in 1 ICC (or 202 3e XOC, 620 XSC) the process was completed with the Oaths of Bruinkanz. Cartulia has been ruled as a single nation since that time under a system of absolute monarchy.

The Cartulian monarchy operates according to the dictates of the Oaths of Irkangthanz in 1 ICC; the original document remains, cast in bronze, and set down the powers and rights of the monarch, as well as the laws of succession. The Oaths of Irkangthanz are named after Sophrustrvanrinam I's heir Irkangthanz I who agreed to uphold the agreements made during the Oaths of the Bruinkanz, thus ensuring his succession and the continuance of Cartulia as a united nation. The basis of the Cartulian legal system is drawn from the pre-unification laws of the Thurhata of Thorostravan and was codified in 7 ICC with the creation of the Thrum'Nakhlanhur (lit.: Book of Laws), this occurred during the reign of Irkangthanz I better known as Irkangthanz Thrumhurdir in Iblesian, or Irkangthanz Lawmaker in Xedan. Each clan and city holds its own Book of Laws into which all legal decisions are written, every five years all of these books are brought to the capital and collated; new laws are thus made based upon the decisions made in the preceding five years. The core Book of Laws remains and only the monarch or a majority of the Thrumhankanz can overturn existing laws. Cartulia's government is run and facilitated by a vast bureaucratic machine known as the Ba'Ephirimnon (lit.: Royal Service), a kind of civil service which has functionaries present in every settlement overseeing everything from law enforcement to taxation.

Cartulia is a reasonably wealthy nation. Its economy focuses on the Dawi tradition of stone and metal working as well as the extraction of minerals from the earth, however unlike many Dawi nations it also has a strong agricultural base above ground to support its subterranean enterprises. Cartulia operates an open economy in which serfdom has been abolished in favour of free individual enterprise; this has led to the creation of a guild and company system. Taxes are paid to the local Thurh who in turn pays taxes to the reigning Bazh. The free enterprise and capitalist nature of the Cartulian economy, which focuses upon a meritocratic system of gaining wealth, has resulted in the development of a fluid class system and what can be described as a large Middle Class by comparison to many other nations. The national budget is managed by the Ba'Khadurgan'Lan (lit.: Royal Bank) which is an organisation within the Royal Service. Meanwhile the nation's currency is issues, regulated, and maintained by the Ba'Khadurgan'Sen (lit.: Royal Mint), another arm of the Royal Service, which is held in high esteem.

The army and navy of Cartulia are highly organised and run directly by the state; clans provide a tithe of youths to enter the military and Cartulian soldiers and seamen are trained in their craft from the age of six. The core of the Cartulian armed forces are the Ba'Agurkir (lit.: Royal Marines) which serves as both naval ground forces and the army itself. The military is a meritocratic organisation which swears direct allegiance to the Bazh and is led by officers trained and appointed by a panel of retired officers and generals under the direction of the Royal Service.

Etymology & Terminology

The name Cartulia is derived from the mythological Iblesian hero Cartu Zothrazviraminan who overthrew the pre-Iblesian Idaasi civilisation which had enslaved the Dawi of the area. In modern Iblesian Cartulia has no direct translation however in Early Iblesian it literally meant "Liberated by Cartu". Even though the post-Idaasi Dawi did not unify under Cartu's reign they used his name to refer collectively to the lands they now inhabited and ruled. Due to the continued veneration of Cartu Zothrazviraminan at the time of Sophrustrvanrinam I's unification of the territories neither Sophrustrvanrinam nor his nation's name superseded that of Cartu.

Known in Xedan as 'The Holy Empire of Cartulia' this is in fact only a close approximation to the actual meaning of the nation's Iblesian title of Bazhate. There is no direct translation of the term Bazhate into Xedan, though the title of Bazh roughly means Tyrant in most interpretations; however by nature the Bazh is also a figure of religious significance and veneration and is as much a spiritual leader as a political or secular one. Some scholars argue that a more appropriate title for the Bazh would be Emperor since they rule over multiple kingdoms and kings, however the Bazh is a more direct and centralised absolute monarch than an Emperor would typically be and the Cartulian kings are more akin to senior nobility in terms of their status and power.

The full Iblesian name for Cartulia is Bazhate la'Cartulia, however it is more commonly referred to abroad by the name The Bazhate of Cartulia and only occasionally as the Holy Empire.

History

The lands of Cartulia have been continuously inhabited throughout recorded history, with early Dawi records indicating that for at least three centuries prior to the creation of writing an organised civilisation known as the Idaasi ruled over the territory. It is unknown what species the Idaasi were as they were wiped out by the Dawi at some time prior to the invention of writing and written records, however the Idaasi were powerful enough according to Iblesian mythology to enslave the Dawi of the region until the rise of Cartu Zothrazviraminan and his rebellion. The few remaining Idaasi ruins are enigmatic locations that hint at an incredibly advanced society, a prime example is the lone mountain at the centre of Iblesia which forms the core of the city of Caer Thorostravan which was raised through the use of powerful magic by the Idaasi for some unknown reason. Centuries of Dawi habitation of the mountain have obliterated the majority of the Idaasi structures in and around the capital city, however on the Bezek mainland near the coastal city of Havn Kodresku the ruins of an Idaasi city known as Nekhepolitur remain more or less untouched and are a site of superstitious dread and taboo. Cartu Zothrazviraminan's rebellion against the Idaasi and the subsequent obliteration of the Idaasi civilisation in its entirety are the subject of numerous ancient myths and legends, and though clear written records carved in stone or cast in metal do remain dating back over one thousand four hundred years, Cartulia scholars remain divided as to whether Cartu Zothrazviraminan and his accomplishments are a matter of fact of historic fiction.

Thurhata (c. 320 BIC - 74 BIC)

According to the commonly accepted history of the Iblesian Dawi of Cartulia the Bruinkanz (lit.: Greater Clans) separated and each founded their own independent petty kingdoms; collectively these kingdoms were referred to as the Thurhata and shared the common Iblesian Dawi culture. Though each of the Thurhata were sovereign and ruled by their own King the bonds of Cartu Zothrazviraminan's legendary rebellion and the shared Iblesian Dawi culture meant that the Thurhata were akin to a confederation which could easily unite in response to external crisis. An attempted seaborne invasion in 127 BIC by Adaasi raiders was met with the united front of all of the Thurhata even though only the coastal regions of Cartulia were affected by the raids and invasions, and from 123 BIC the patrolling of Cartulian waters for pirates and raiders became a joint responsibility. By 80 BIC, shortly before Sophrustrvanrinam I began unifying Cartulia, all of the smaller Thurhate had been absorbed into one or other of the larger Thurhata, leaving only five. The Thurhate of Thorostravan established its position as the pre-eminent power among the Thurhata in 74 BIC when the thrones of Kodresku and Ladizkadr were inherited by members of House Zhurgannan, the ruling House of Thorostravan, thus making them tributaries of Sophrustrvanrinam I.

Unification (74 BIC - 1 BIC)

Painting of one of Sophrustrvanrinam's royal guards, Kirha Ptanlainian.

Sophrustrvanrinam I used his position as the overlord of three out of the five Thurhata to leverage hegemony over the remaining two and in all but name the entirety of modern day Cartulia was under his dominion by 62 BIC. Initially the territories of Cartulia were not unified as a single state but rather as a series of states which owed tribute and fealty to the king of Thorostravan, records on the subject are unclear as to whether or not Sophrustrvanrinam I intended for this to be the case on a permanent basis, however in 24 BIC a rebellion in Ladizkadr and Gurshadkaz which intended to restore the power and end the system of fealty to Thorostravan spurred military action. For the following twenty four years, until the defeat of Ladizkadr and Gurshadkaz's forces in 1 BIC, Sophrustrvanrinam I waged a ruthless military campaign characterised by rapid manoeuvre and the practice of decimation of captured enemy soldiers. At the turn of the year following the surrender of the rebellion's leaders Sophrustrvanrinam I proclaimed the Bazhate and had himself crowned Bazh, forcing the leaders of the Greater Clans to accept the Oaths of the Bruinkanz.

During this time the military forces of the Iblesian Dawi were largely part-time, with only a limited warrior class in the form of personal bodyguards. Sophrustrvanrinam set himself apart by establishing a large professional fighting force was standardised training focused upon the idea of disciplined formation fighting. The bulk of Sophrustrvanrinam's army were spearmen wearing bronze and leather armour; what made these spearmen particularly effective however was that they carried a Kirnkr almost as tall as they were and were given a bronze or iron Shukt as a secondary armament. Intended to fight in close formation and trained to form both square and rounded formations depending upon the conditions, these spearmen were versatile and man for man far more effective than the less disciplined troops they faced. Sophrustrvanrinam was not content to rely upon heavy spear infantry alone however, and employed a number of more specialised troops including skirmishers and archers as well as a small cadre of elite cavalry mounted on great mastiffs. Most notable among Sophrustrvanrinam's forces though were his royal guard, led by Kirha Ptanlainian, who were each gifted uniquely engraved plate armour and a two handed axe; according to contemporary accounts no rebel formation or force could withstand a heavy infantry charge from Sophrustrvanrinam's royal guard.

Post-Unification (1 ICC - 22 ICC)

Following the unification of Cartulia by Sophrustrvanrinam I the process of consolidated and solidifying the unity of the nation was begun. Sophrustrvanrinam I began with the creation of the Royal Service in 2 ICC and left its formalisation and management to his trusted advisor Jurga Keladnadurim while he proceeded to make a tour around the newly unified nation of Cartulia with the army he had used to crush the rebellions in Ladizkadr and Gurshadkaz; the progress was slow because the army was required to lay a basic road everywhere it went to connect the overland settlements of the Bezek mainland to one another; they also established fortifications near each major hold's surface entrance which were manned by troops taken from the forces he brought with him. Additionally everywhere Sophrustrvanrinam I went he left a cadre of bureaucrats to ensure that his will was carried out. Contemporary historians view the reign of Sophrustrvanrinam I as one of violence and oppression and though he unified the country it is the prevailing view that he was a bloodthirsty tyrant who brutally crushed any hint of dissent or rebellion no matter how trivial; at the time however, perhaps as a form of early propaganda, the intelligentsia and academic classes portrayed Sophrustrvanrinam I as a strategic genius.

Oaths of Succession (1 ICC)

One of the terms by which the Bruinkanz had agreed to the Oaths which had ended the rebellion and unified Cartulia was that Sophrustrvanrinam I establish a clear line of succession and guaranteed the continuity of his line's rule. Sophrustrvanrinam had many children by multiple wives and tradition held that the eldest child of each of a man's wives inherited an equal portion of their father's estate upon his death; this however was an unacceptable arrangement for the Bruinkanz and for the Thrumhankanz who sought to prevent further bloodshed and war between the Iblesian Dawi. Thus, three months after proclaiming the Bazhate Sophrustrvanrinam instructed Jurga Keladnadurim, the head of the Royal Service, to form a set of oaths to be sworn by Irkangthanz, the most promising of his sons and a further set of oaths to be sworn by his remaining children, to ensure a smooth succession. On 15th Thrurn 1 ICC Irkangthanz made the Oaths of Irkangthanz, securing his place as the sole heir to the throne. Those among Sophrustrvanrinam's remaining children who accepted Irkangthanz as their next Bazh made the Submission of the Gruningsanth in 4 ICC, formalising their places in the line of succession. Several of the Bazh's children refused to swear the Submission were put to death along with their mothers, setting a precedent which would last until 444 ICC.

Reign of Irkangthanz I (5 ICC - 23 ICC)

Irkangthanz I assumed the throne in 5 ICC upon the death of his father. Unlike his father who was a warrior by nature Irkangthanz was far more interested in the strategy on politics of rule. Unsatisfied with the disparate and ill defined nature of law in Cartulia Irkangthanz began the process of forging a unified and codified system of laws, starting with the creation of the Thrum'Nakhlanhur (lit.: Book of Laws). Irkangthanz placed the responsibility of administering justice to the Thrumhankanz, a council of elders from all of the Greater Clans. A copy of the Book of Laws was sent to each major settlement and given into the care of the local Thurh. The focus of Irkangthanz I's rule was the formalisation and standardisation of law throughout Cartulia, as well as the establishment of the rights of his people. One significant issue was the enforcement of serfdom among the surface dwelling communities of Dawi who tended the fields; up to this point serfdom had not been universal but it was made so by Irkangthanz I.

Much of Irkangthanz I's reign was defined by brutality and violence. The Bazh had inherited his father's fervent desire to unite Cartulia and maintain the nation, but lacked his father's principles and scruples, in addition the new Bazh was considered to be paranoid and given to bouts of hysteria. This extreme paranoia was displayed through the constant arrests for treason that defined his reign and though the accused always received a trial under the dictates of the laws Irkangthanz had established more often than not the evidence provided was insubstantial or based on hearsay. During his eighteen year reign Irkangthanz I created and fostered an atmosphere of terror that no-one dared to openly resist due to the loyalty of his troops and the Royal Service to him.

In 23 ICC Irkangthanz I died under mysterious circumstances. I was believed at the time that he had been assassinated at the behest of members of the Bruinkanz in order to end the terror and progress to mare stable regime; however more recent research into previously lost diaries and records indicates that he was in fact murdered by his daughter and heir Virathrana in order to prevent him from destroying their line's hold on the Cartulian throne.

Early Bazhate Period (23 ICC - 320 ICC)

The Early Bazhate Period began in 23 ICC with the untimely death of Irkangthanz I and the succession of his eldest daughter Virathrana I. The period was largely defined by the development of Cartulia from a pseudo-feudal society into a centralised and habitually united nation, and is considered to have come to an end in 320 ICC with the rise of the Cartulian Nationalist and Leveller movements.

State Portrait of Virathrana I.

The central policy during Virathrana I's reign was that of converting the institutions her grandfather had created in order to ensure his hegemony over Cartulia's clans and Thurhata into centralised national institutions. In 29 ICC she instructed the Royal Service to reform her father's army into the Ba'Agurkir (lit.: Royal Marines), expanding its recruitment pool significantly by requiring that each clan provide an annual tithe of six year old children to be sent to Caer Thorostravan to begin their training. Virathrana's military reforms did not end with recruitment; she further introduced the concept of mass standardisation of equipment and the specialisation of troops within a tight organisational structure based around one hundred man formations known as Kipari. While her reforms did not bring an end to the system of political appointments to high military command, or nepotism with regards to officer candidacy, it did create the precedent and principle by which a meritocratic system could be introduced later. Virathrana would continue to focus on military reforms throughout her reign, though the only combat her reformed army would see would come in the form of a series of insurrections and coastal raids by pirates. Virathrana's reign came to an end in 121 ICC with her death at the age of one hundred and thirteen, and she was succeeded by her son Irkangthanz II, and was enshrined as Virathrana Santogurkir (lit.: Virathrana Swordmaker).

Irkangthanz II shared similar motivations to his mother and was fascinated by military matters; however unlike his mother who had inherited a nation with room for reform and a need to develop, Irkangthanz had inherited a disciplined and effective army in the form of the Royal Marines established by his mother. Instead Irkangthanz set his eyes upon the navy; though the Royal Marines were trained and intended to serve at sea as well as on land, the organisation behind the ships that actually carried them was far less effective or well conceived. Sophrustrvanrinam I had only needed to use his ships as a means of transporting troops along the coastline, most of the fighting during the unification had taken place inland and as a result he had seen no need to further organise a naval force during the unification. Prior to the reforms of Irkangthanz II the navy was practically non-existent with civilian and merchant vessels being conscripted during times of conflict; a system which though cheap, was not particularly effective and left Cartulia vulnerable to piracy and coastal raiders. Irkangthanz commissioned the construction of the nation's first dedicated military shipyard in Havn Thorostravan in 122 ICC and construction was completed in 129 ICC; the shipyard was massive, carved into the rock of the sea cliffs north of the city proper and could be used to construct four ships at a time. Under Irkangthanz's direction the Royal Service established departments responsible for the management of the marines and the navy; these would include institutions with the goal of equipping, supplying, and maintaining soldiers and ships.

The reign of Irkangthanz II also saw the rapid growth of trade as well as the beginning of international trade overseas for Cartulia itself. The Greater Clans could afford to invest in trading expeditions that brought back new materials and ideas; Irkangthanz himself however was only passably interested in economic concerns and was content to allow the situation to manage itself. As long as the Greater Clans continued to pay taxes he did not seem to mind where they got their coin from. The governmental indifference to the growth of trade left it in many places totally unregulated; on the one hand this had the benefit of causing banking to take hold as well as modern mercantile practices, but on the other without regulation wealth disparity was extreme and a system of indentured servitude evolved. While income inequality was nothing new at this time poverty became rampant and the nation faced a series of food shortages due to wider mismanagement. At the time of Irkangthanz II's death in 158 ICC the nation was facing growing food shortages and a rising infant mortality rate.

State Portrait of Virastaviran I.

Irkangthanz II was succeeded by his son Virastaviran I in 158 ICC. Virastaviran I was the first of the Cartulian Bazhi to have been born heir to the throne and was the first who by no means had to worry about preserving his rule against internal threats. Sometimes known as Virastaviran Chosendikr (lit.: Virastavrian the Complacent), he did little to help restore his nation's former economic strength. The reign of Virastaviran I was marked by a period of general malaise among the upper classes and the suffering of the poor as a result of the rampant growth of exploitative capitalism; the result of this was an overall contraction of the economy and weakening of the nation's prestige. However culturally the nation flourished and entered a golden age of art and literature as Virastaviran and other members of the elite began to commission works of art and writing. Notably various methods of acid etching were first discovered and employed in Cartulia during the later years of his reign, allowing the more effective practice of creating books and texts with pages made from copper and bronze.