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Kingdom of Ruam 咸國
Capital	Valchram (Winter) Saojion (Summer)
Largest	Valchram
Official languages	(Classical Chinese)
Recognised national languages	Xi Che Ksangsak
Recognised regional languages	Beng Da'ek Jheng
Religion	Vrahism
Government	Confederal absolute monarchy
Area
•	1,123,552 km2 (433,806 sq mi)

Ruam (咸國, Che: /ha:m˨ kʷɔːk˧/, Ksangsak: /ha:m˩ kuə̯k˥/ Xi: /ɕjɛn˩ kuə̯˩/), officially the Kingdom of Ruam, is a confederal absolute monarchy in Ajax. Positioned along the southeastern coast of continental Ochran and outlying islands, it borders Uluujol to the north and Jhengtsang to the west. As of 2020, it has an estimated population of about 50 million, divded among its constituent states as a composite monarchy under the eponymous dynasty.

The land now known as Ruam has been continuously inhabited since the Paleolithic age. It is believed that the first inhabitants of the land migrated to the coastal area by land and sea alike, relying on the relatively less forested coast to traverse the tropical environment, before eventually settling around the wetland estuaries dominating the coastal regions. Located at the peripheral of Ochran and covered in dense tropical rainforest, Ruam has been the destination of multiple waves of migration and refugees, the most prominent of which being the conquest of the Bayarid Empire, where refugee from Xiwangguo comprised the first centralised monarchy of Ruam and continued to rule the country to this day.

A composite monarchy, the government considered itself defined by the shared alligiance of constituent polities towards the Ruam monarchy. Tracing its roots back to the conglomerate of refugees, native chiefdoms and merchants seeking protection in exchange of alligiance, the Kingdom of Ruam officially retained its bilateral nature to this day, in a decentralised system that some political theorists had described as a feudal or neo-feudal system.

Etymology

The name Ruam is an exonym first introduced by merchants from Mutulese Ochran, with whom the kingdom had extensive trade. While the word Ruam itself was derived from the Multi word huam, its ultimate etymology is ultimately unknown. Currently, the most widely-accepted hypotheses regarding the origin of the word consider it to be derived from entonym of one of the languages spoken in the country. Potential candidates of it include proto-Ksangsak *ruam for "put together" or "unite" (cf. Norok proom "togetherness"), and Old (Classical Chinese) *grəm "complete" (transcribed as ᡴ᠌ᡝᠷᠠᠮ kəram in Thuwachi text), with some linguists suggesting that the similar meaning being an indication of either cognate or early loanword between the language families.

In (Classical Chinese), and other languages heavily influenced by it, the entonym of the country is written as 咸 (Che: /ha:m˨˩/, Xi: /ɕjɛn˩/). According to official history, the name ultimately stemmed from the 31rd hexagram from ancient East Ochran divination, which was made by Fiyangqu Cigaya, the legendary founder of the Ruam monarchy on the eve of Bayarid conquest of Xiwangguo. Interpreting it as a bad omen, Fiyangqu was said to have gathered all his followers and fled towards the southwest in accord to the divination result. As words of Xi falling to the Bayarids reached the entourage, another divination was made, and Fiyangqu decided to settle in a nearby wetland near modern Valchram. Believing himself to be the only survivor of his clan and, by extension, the Mankut-Xi rulers, Fiyangqu proclaimed himself to be King of Ruam, in deference to the divination result that saved him and his followers. The authenticity of the legend, however, was questioned by many, with opponents usually leaning towards it being a later invention after the Thuwachi Mankut monarchy had assiminated many of the native population, including the loanword that would become Ruam.

History

Main article: History of Ruam

Prehistory

The first known sign of permanent settlement in modern day Ruam dated back as early as 30,000 ybp, near the bank of the Naen river (𩅠水, Xi: /næ̃˩ su̯ei̯˥˧/) in northern Ruam. Due to its proximity with the extent settlements found in Xi, tools and artefacts in similar design to their Xi counterpart, as well as the area being historically part of the greater Xi states, the Naensui culture has long been considered part of the proto-Xi culture as well. However, recent archaeological findings, combined with advents in archaeogenetics, suggested that a significant portion, if not the majority of inhabitants in the region are more closely related to South Ochran population than its eastern counterpart. As such, it has since been considered to be an indigenous group either assiminated by, or in significant trade interaction with the northern Xi population. While the abundance of fishing tool, rafts and processed remains of fish and seashells suggested fishing to be the main source of subsistence for the people, their diet was likely supplemented by wild root vegetables and fruits.

In southern Ruam, the earliest signs of permanent settlement dated back to 25,000 ybp. Found throughout the southern coast of the country, it is believed to belong to the proto-Ksangsak-Norok population, the common ancestor of the two people. Compared with the Naensui people, the proto-Ksangsak population likely relied more on fishing for food, given the lack of other foodstuff in archaeological records. In addition to that, the people likely engaged in pearl hunting, harvesting pearls for production of jewelry and other trade goods. The wider spread of the population and its relics, supported by almost ubiqutuous presence of rafts and boats in their settlements, showed that it was a more seafaring people, with its pearl jewelry having been found in the outlying islands and along the coast of Ruam.

Evidence for rudimentary agricultural drainage was found in the wetland dominating the southern coast of Ruam, in particular that of Krongmeng swamp. Dating back to around 5,000 ybp, it is believed to be used by later stage of the proto-Ksangsak population to cultivate root vegetables like taro and citrus. The presence of stone cutting and grinding tools in nearby settlements also suggested that some form of food crop like wild rice might have been planted by the people as well. Access to agriculture likely resulted in an increase of population and rise of larger settlements, many of which utilising stilt houses in or near the swamps, as protection against both flooding and diseases.

There was a large influx of Xi population in northern Ruam between 1,500 and 1,000 ybp, likely a result of migration caused by the decline of early Xi polities and their subsequent conquest by the migrating Mankut people to the north. Their southward migration brought technologies such as wet field cultivation and bronze metallurgy to the land, eventually spreading along the coast towards the early Ksangsak people. Introduction of more advanced technology and administrative ideas is believed to have resulted in the formation of proto-states along the Nae river and coast of Ruam, as well as furthering cultural exchange between Xi and the indigenous population.

Thuwachi period

See also: Thuwachi

Closely related to the Mankut people, the Thuwachi people were among the conquerers and rulers of the ancient Xiwangguo in the early first millennium. Significantly assiminated into their Xi subjects, the Thuwachi people remained local rulers in parts of Xiwangguo until the conquest of the land by the Bayarid Empire, which saw many of the opposing local rulers deposed. Officialy history of Ruam claimed that at the eve of the Bayarid conquest, Fiyangqu Cigaya, the youngest heir to the Thuwachi Cigaya clan, foresee the impending threat through divination and gathered his followers to move southward. Although this particular event was not supported by contemporary text, a large wave of migration from Xiwangguo into Ruam was documented before and during Bayarid invasion, which included a significant amount of Thuwachi people alongside their Xi subjects.

Compared with the previous Xi migration, the Thuwachi migration was both more organised and widespread. Although mostly confined to be more accessible coastal regions, the migrants eventually reached as far as the southern tip of the continent. Similar to their Xi predecessors, the arrival of Thuwachi Mankuts resulted in the founding of more centralised states alongside the indigenous polities, displacing and assiminating some of the pre-existing proto-states.

Despite the likely goal to flee Bayarid conquest, Ruam would eventually become part of its continent-spanning empire, if only nominally. In face of threat of war, many local states opted to become vassals to Bayarid Empire, whose support allowed the subjugated rulers to expand into their independent neighbouring with its auspice.

In the wake of the collapse of Bayarid Empire, the local rulers regained their indepdnence, some inheriting the remains of Bayarid presence in the region. Among them, the Cigaya clan based in Valchram eventually gained dominance over ousthern Ruam and eastern Norok, leading to the foundation of the Kingdom of Ruam that persist to this day.

Mutulese trade

See also: Mutulese Ochran

Commonly considered an improvished backwater region by contemporary rulers, even that of the Xi-Mankuts, the Kingdom of Ruam relied primarily on its geographic location for resource and wealth. Controlling the northern shore of the strait between Makria Ocean and Ozeros Sea, Ruam benefitted greatly from the maritime trade through the strait, its ports serving as havens and supply ports for trading ships within the doldrums. Supported by its mercantile open-door policies, Ruam soon became an important stopping point for merchants as far as Fahran to the west and Tsurushima to the east.

The arrival of Mutulese ships in the 16th century eventually led to its dominance over the local trade network as Mutulese Ochran. Like many polities under its influence, Mutulese trade ports and legations soon appeared within Ruam, often with the support of the Ruam government in exchange of more preferable trade deals, better exchange of wealth and technology.

Following the Kirishtan Uprising in Tsurushima, the expulsion of Mutulese legation from the archipelago proper provided Ruam with significant business oppotunity. Maintaining its open door policy on trade, Ruam soon became the primary exporter of precious metal, rice, tobacco and tropical hardwood such as camphor, ironwood and teak. The resulting influx of Mutulese wealth and ideas led to what was considered the golden age of Ruam during the 18th century, including rapid expansion of its manufacturing and shipbuilding sector to capitalise on its natural resource more efficiently. Originating in Mutulese trade ports and other possessions, they soon became some of the most affluent and productive regions within Ruam, gradually leading the rest of the country towards industrialisation.

Culture

Cigaya Qi Kei Ki Ki គិ

Valchram (晟藍)

Saojian (霞江)

𡐙渃𧵑𢂜咸 /tət.ɗaːk kuə̯ βuə̯.luə̯m/

Geday/Gedayo or Belw

Ilumasdhar

Solustheris Isles