Castillia

Castillian Federation Castillian: La Fédération Castillia
Flag Seal
Motto: Fraternité sous notre Fédération
Anthem: "Héler Castillia!"
Capital	Preslaff
Largest city	Beziers
Official languages	Castillian
Recognised regional languages	Anglic, Díenstadi
Ethnic groups	Castillian, Mokan, Closian, Macabean
Demonym(s)	Castillian
Government	Federated presidential constitutional republic
• President of the Federation	Marlène Backès
• Vice-President of the Federation	Maïté Bacque
• Cassier des Cinqcents (Speaker of the Five-Hundred)	Léo Rousselle
Legislature	États-Généraux (States-General)
• Upper house	Fédéralsénat (Federal Senate)
• Lower house	Assemblé des Cinqcents (Assembly of the Five-Hundred)
Formation
• Castillian Unification	1749 CCE
• Imperial Formation	1753 CCE
• Socialistenat Regime	2005 CCE
• Federal Constitution	2015 CCE
GDP (PPP)	2034 estimate
• Total	$4,010 trillion
• Per capita	$74,023
HDI (2032)	0.831 very high
Currency	Datary
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy CCE (Castillian Common Era)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+411
Internet TLD	.cas

Castillia, officially the Castillian Federation, is a federated presidential constitutional republic located in Greater Díenstad. Comprising the entire Viridian continent, a large island landmass in the Dienstadi orient, it is among the largest countries in the region by square mileage. The country's capital and second-largest city is Preslaff, also the cultural capital of Castillia. Beziers is Castillia's largest city and financial capital, being the headquarters of some of the most prominent financial and corporate entities in Greater Dienstad. Other major urban areas in the country include Ariège, Marais Besançon, Élancourt, Nogent-sur-Marne, and Villeparisis. Comprising of twenty-nine provinces, seven grand arrondissements, two autonomous suzerainties, and the Special Capital District, Castillia has a diverse geography, from swamplands and marshes to vast plains, deep old-growth forests, and mountain ranges, including Mont Zénith, the highest point of elevation in Greater Dienstad.

The formal unification of what now comprises the southern half of the Castillian Federation occurred on December 1, 1749, when King Charles II defeated William the Northlander at Battle of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, conquering the Duchy of Halstead and subsequently crowning himself Emperor of Castillia in 1753, the first of nine to hold the title. Castillia was defined by its 304-year Imperial era, during which industrialization, outward colonization, and the establishment of a naval hegemony occured, as well as the emergence of a Castillian identity. In 2005, the First Castillian-Mokan War led to the collapse of the Imperial system, and the Socialistenat seizure of power from the provisional democratic government shortly thereafter. The entire Viridian continent was not unified until 2007, during the Socialistenat regime under Chancellor John Oswald Vaughn, who ordered the annexation of the Kingdom of Castleclose, leading to the Closian Theater in the Great Dienstadi War. Tensions between the Socialistenatètat Castillia and the People's Unified Federation led to the liberation of Castillia from authoritarianism during the Second Castillian-Mokan War seven years later, the opening stage of the wider Fascist and Slaver Wars beginning in 2015. The contemporary Castillian Federation was established the same year, marking the introduction of functional democratic institutions and an open society in Castillia, which had been previously defined by varying levels of repression.

Castillia has been described as a great power with a liberal democratic basic order and a strong economy; however significant political episodes such as the Rails-For-Oil scandal or the Mai '35 Crisis, the government's human rights record, and continued widespread poverty in Castillia's insular, more rural areas as well in its northern reaches, have made Castillia a subject of intense debate. As a rentier state, owing to the large deposits of natural gas and oil in the Federation, its citizens nominally enjoy universal healthcare, social security programs, and tuition-free university education. It is a leader in scientific, industrial, and technological sectors, as well as defined by its unique cultural identity. Castillia is a member of the Greater Dienstadi Regional Council, the World Assembly (since 2035), the Global Aerospace and Trade Association, and a signatory of the Amistad Declaration.

History

Prehistory

The earliest known estimate of Homo Erectus settling what is known as the Viridian Isle occurred around 1.8 million years ago, presumably crossing an ice bridge from a now-submerged continent. Controlled use of fire is estimated to have started around 800,000 years ago, with modern humans Homo Sapiens appearing on the Viridian Isle around 200,000 years ago. Spreading along the coastline, they often clashed with Erectus and completely wiped out the species 195,000 years ago. The most significant advent of the Upper Paleolithic was agriculture, developed by Sapiens on the Viridian continent around the 9th millennium BCCE. Evidence proving this was found in an archeological dig near Vensel in the Province of Le Bouscat. By the 5th millennium the wheel had been invented on Viridia, whether that and the concept of agriculture was the first to be discovered in Viridia is unknown and highly contested. Within 2900 BC literate cuneiform has been developed as well as proto-Aacevi, a tongue attributed as being the forebearer to Romance Aacevi. This ends the Neolithic era late in 3200 BCCE and begins the Bronze Age in Viridia, where the development of sturdy tools, formidable weapons, and economy-based civilizations flourish on the continent. This is also noted as the end of the Neolithic for three reasons: (i) the collapse of the Hexatopolic supercontinent due to the eruption of a supervolcano designated "Dominus Priebe", (ii) the subsequent ash cloud that covered the northern area of Greater Dienstad for at least one year, killing 42% of the Sapiens population, and (iii) rise in sea levels covering any existence of the Hexatopolic continent. These events were marked by the first recorded events of history in Viridia. It was treated by many civilizations as an apocalyptic end-time event, however human society flourished after the event, as well as formed significant pantheons.

Early Civilization

First Civilizations

The Aacevivan Kingdom is established around 3219 BCCE, the first known major society and civilization to establish themselves in Viridia. They become rivaled by the Gaellian peoples who establish loosely-confederated farming states in present-day Castleclose. These neighboring states span from the northern tip of Castleclose to Ulster. To the south in what is the original borders of the Castillian state, several city-states vie for power as they are overlooked by the growing Balochians and their wealthy merchant-based economy. Iron Age states such as the Balochians developed mercantile cultures, the concept of barter and currency, and developed military strategy, as evidenced in the Battle of Brivstasvl against the Maecaynites, which was the first recorded battle between civilizations in the Viridian continent. The Balochians victory against the Maecay people at Brivstasvl led to conjunction of the first organized empire. The Balochian people had subsequently liquidated the Maecaynites and either sold them into slavery or killed them outright. The destruction of the Maecay was the first recorded conquest of another ethnic tribe in Viridia, and the Balochians further flourished as they conquered city-states like Helsindi, Gast, Melatia, and Videmal. The most prominent of rulers of the Balochians, Bathkyr, or Bathkyr the Great, led campaigns as far north as the Chaleur Mountains, where inexperience in fighting in cold elements as well as lack of familiarity of terrain led to defeat at the hands of the tribal bands in those areas, such as the Kepti. Retreating over thousands of miles through the brutal winter, pursued by the Kepti and Vegtik tribes back to Balochia, Bathkyr found his empire in disarray as Melatia and Gast had rebelled and the incredible distance he had went to the Chaleur mountains had given him lack of communication with his court back home. With the Kepti and Vegtik warrior closing in on Becik, the capital, and Gast mounting a large army, Bathkyr committed suicide and thus ended the Balochians as they were submitted into slavery by several different tribes and peoples. Becik was razed and sacked by the Kepti, and left to ruin. Becik lies near the modern-day city of Beziers, and some ruins still stand, such as the Temple of Bacidalus.

Early Viridius Republicae

Fresco depicting the "Bull Sport" of the Balochians, circa 290 BC

While Balochia was liquidated circa 250 BCCE, Gast had filled the power vacuum and reformed itself into the regional power. With their capital of Viridius on the glimmering shores facing what is now Mokastana, the people of Gast had reformed themselves into the Viridius Republicae, using what technology the Balochians had developed and with the minds of some of the greatest philosophers and inventors such as Saetonius, Fiscus Pilus, Contarch, and Belphaestus, over the course of 50 years, develop Viridius into a beautiful flourishing city with freshwater brought in from lakes on hundreds of miles of aqueduct networks. The Senate, the ruling class of citizens who dictated the policy of Viridius Republicae, was led by a triumvirate of princeps, or "First Citizens". The Triumvirate reached the peak of its power in 192 BCE, when it was led by the "The Three Good Men", namely Cassius Lucidus, Albinovanus, and Aeschrion of Aethella (also known as Aeschrion the Undaunted), and was notable in history for being the last triumvirate before the Junia Conspiracy in which led to a three-year power vacuum and formed the Republicae into the what is now known as the Viridian Empire.

A surviving statue of Aeschrion of Aethella

Cassius Lucidus was a well-known financier in the Viridius forum, and had considerable influence in buying his way into the Senate using his vast fortune. Cassius had owned silver mines north of Viridius, in the border regions between the farthest reach of the Republicae and the Pantharian Kingdoms, and also invested much of his fortune into wine and olive oil production, owning a considerable chunk of the market in those two products. Albinovanus came from an already-powerful political dynasty, being the fifth senator of his family. Albinovanus was also an accomplished statesman, having brokered peace between the Republicae and the Galatia Thalassokratia in 194 BCCE after nearly a decade of bloodshed between the two neighbors. Aeschrion, who was not a native of the Republicae but of Aethella and was "naturalized" after being sent to train under the tutelage of Cathellus, a skillful early Republicae military commander, who had seen many engagements in the Thalassokratian Wars and had considerable victories at Amnisos, Berge, and Edessa. Aeschrion, becoming a military commander alongside Cathellus and earning his right as a Republicae citizen, earning a reputation for fierce tenacity in battle and wise command decisions while also racking up much debt living a lavish lifestyle much beyond his means. His place in the Triumvirate was only guaranteed by Cassius, who paid the debts and funded an expedition for Aeschrion to then repay his debt to Cassius. In 193 BC, Aeschrion set out with 10,000 men, IX Aavecrates Legio, to rally against the Sullenic tribes to the east in Sulla. After nine months and numerous victories against Gastian (scholars debate whether his name referenced the origin of the Viridian Republicae and its people, despite being of Gaellian ethnicity) and his Sullenic warriors, defeating them finally after a month-long siege at Taevel (near present-day Élancourt), and taking all of the city's coffers in silver by the pound a thousand, as well as nearly five-thousand slaves, which were sold at home in the Republicae and abroad. By 190 BCCE, Aeschrion had paid his debts to Cassius and emerged as a wealthy rival to him. Conspiring to eliminate opposition to him, Aeschrion arranged for the assassination of Albinovanus, which occurred on Juin 19, 190 BCCE when mercenaries organized by Aeschrion publicy beat Albinovanus to death with wooden poles in the middle of the forum of Viridius.

Albinovanus' assasination was never connected to Aeschrion, as he controlled the city garrison and enjoyed the discretion of its commanders, who led a lackluster investigation into the murder. Cassius saw this as a warning sign to not only his power in the Republicae, but his own life, and lobbied the commanders of several military units to his cause, calling for the dissolution of the Triumvirate and the arrest of Aeschrion. Despite this, most of the political elite in the Senate, including the military officers who held office in the Senate, sided with Aeschrion and organized their troops to go to battle against Cassius' forces. This power struggle culminated in the Battle of Viridius, which tore the city apart as the two armies clashed. While the city sustained much damage, Aeschrion's forces ultimately prevailed and Cassius was cornered in the Temple of Sianius, where he was captured and paraded through the streets while tied to a stake. In his first act as the newly established Diktat, Aeschrion tried Cassius in the Senate, where he was found guilty and in a stroke of fortune for Cassius, was sentenced to exile. Aside from the fact that he traveled north into the Montagnes des Chaleurie. Most academics concur that he likely died somewhere in the mountain range.

High Viridius Republicae and Fall

Aeschrion's unopposed rule as the Diktat was rather short; for 151 days he presided over affairs of the Republicae enacting wide reaching reforms of the political system, diminishing the power of the landed elite in the Senate. Discontent with the stifling of their power, the landed elite, led by Tallius, in turn assassinated Aeschrion when the Senate convened in Viridius. This ushered in the establishment of a new system where the Senate would elect a praeses, who presided over the Senate.

The Castulingians

The Viridian Republicae would disintegrate by 327 CCE, reduced to mere warring kingdoms and other feudal states. The vast empire that reached across much of the southern Viridian continent had ceased to exist. Most prominent among the new realms was the Castulingians, which hailed north of the Chaleurie range from Viridius, in the lush fertile farmlands of the Bellevallée. The Castulingians,

Castillian Unification

The Warring Kingdoms

From the late 17th century to the mid-18th century, a slow process of conquest headed by the Kingdom of Castillia, the most powerful polity among the other post-feudal states in the southern half of the Viridian continent.