Avalonian Republic
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The Avalonian Republic peacefully arose more than three thousand years ago with the death of the last Avalonian Emperor and the end of Augusta dynasty. After more than 1600 years of autocratic regimes punctuated by periods of civil strife and crises of succession, the Avalonian people were tired of submitting to the Imperial Throne at Civitas Avalonis. In the last centuries of the Avalonian Imperium, dramatic social liberalization occurred and nominal parliamentary rule had slowly subverted imperial authority. In the year 1864 AE, the Avalonian Republic was officially established. The old Senate was incorporated into a new parliament, which included a House of Citizens, and a Prime Minster was elected by the combined Parliament to head the new republic.
Since that time, the Avalonian Republic has endured within and on the towering Olympic Mountains on the Eastern Island, east of Thule. A century after it's establishment, the Avalonian Republic became aware of the growing power of the Empire of the Alfar to the southwest. Foreseeing an inevitable conflict with the Elvish empire, and perhaps realizing that they were unable to directly challenge the Alfar, the Avalonian Republic chose to isolate and hide themselves from the eyes of the rest of the world. The treacherous territory that composed the heart of Avalonian Republic often deterred most would-be adventurers or fools from entering the Republic's realms. For the first 3000 years of its existence, the Eternal Blizzard prevented all but the most hardened of creatures from even reaching the Olympic Mountains. Seen from afar, the Olympic Mountains appear as nothing but lifeless snow-capped peaks. For three millenia, the Avalonian Republic managed to avoid conquest by the Empire of Alfar. As luck would have it, the Alfar never made it to Thule. However, the preparations and precautions established by the early Republic would not be tested until more than three thousand years later during the ravages of the Necromantic War.
During the war, the Eastern Island was mostly ignored thanks to its remote location as well as the Eternal Blizzard. The few Necromantic expeditions that did manage to penetrate the mountains never returned back to report on their discoveries. But now, with the rest of the world in a state of chaos and disarray, and a bold, adventurous young Prime Minster residing in the Parliamentary Residence, the Avalonian Republic is the on the verge of returning to the world stage for the first time in over three thousand years.
Racial Characteristics
God-Blooded (orig. Alfar Asgar), Avalonian Human Mix (25 points)
Modern historians, anthropologists and archeologists generally accept that the current Avalonian people are a mix of the original inhabitants of some unknown ancient civilization and ancient humans from Lemuria. Whether these survivors of the ancient civilization were minor deities or partial deities is a matter of much speculation. The popular notion is that several bands of the original inhabitants of Atlantis managed to escape the great calamity and reach the shores of Thule, where they traveled all the way to the Olympic Mountain range. Somehow, this last remnant of Atlantis managed to discover the vast Underdark Lightfield within the mountains. There, they found a band of humans residing within the Underdark. Scholars, however, generally do not support the 'Atlantis Theory', claiming that there is absolutely no evidence to conclude Atlantis even existed. How humans ended up in the lightfield is a mystery to this day. Many citizens believe that it was the doing of the Old Goddess Altrea, although there is no general consensus among scholars and experts. Whatever the origin, there is no doubt that Avalonian civilization is at least as old as the Alfar Empire, with the Republic and the Imperium comprising almost 5000 years of history. Avalonians are on average much tougher and stronger than the average human and also possess longer lifespans. Although they aren't nearly as long-lived as the Alfar, the average normal lifespan of an Avalonian can reach a little over 300 years. Avalonian mages are also particularly gifted in terms of the potency of their magic. The notion that these abilities are the result of "divine" blood has been generally accepted by Avalonian society even today.
Population
As of 5300 AE, there are are approximately 2,001,400 citizens residing within the realms of the Avalonian Republic. Approximately one million of those reside in Avalon. An additional 900,000 reside within the underground city of Asgarth. About 50,000 reside in Nova Atlantia. The rest are scattered throughout the Eastern Island, although most of them reside in the temperate regions in the southwest coast and the hills to the east of the Olympic Mountains.
Demographics
Of the more than two million residents, approximately 53% are male and 47% are female, leading to a ratio of 1.12 Avalonian males for every female. About 20% of the population is under 50, 46% are between 50 and 200, and 34% are over 200 years old. Despite the long lifespans of the Avalonians, birth rates tend to be relatively low, as conception is slightly more difficult compared to humans. On average, there are about 2.35 children per mating pair.
There are no other ethnic groups within the Avalonian Empire besides the Avalonians. While most Avalonians are between 1/8th and 1/4th deity and human, there are dwarvish features in some of the population perhaps indicating possible dwarvish blood in a very small sector of the population.
History
Main Article: General Avalonian History
Pre-Imperial History
Historians have typically estimated that semi-divine survivors of an ancient civilization landed on the shores of Eastern Thule and established civilization some two thousand years prior to the establishment of the Republic around 500 BAE. Through the intervening years, the Avalonian civilization thrived in the Underdark Lightfields within the Olympic Mountains, eventually becoming a city state with the expansion of the city of Asgarth. In 212 BAE, one of the few dates historians are certain of, a schism occurred, and a large number of Avalonians headed towards the surface to find new opportunities. One group discovered the Olympian Valley, near the peak of Mount Olympic. Within decades the settlements within the valley quickly expanded to become Civitias Avalonis, the city of Avalon. For the next four hundred years, both city states existed in a cold war state.
Imperial History
This period in time, starting with official establishment of the Imperium 235 AE, represented the beginning of an age of reason for Avalonian civilization. Much of the superstition during the pre-imperial times was replaced with reasoning and rational logic. The old Elder Polytheism gave way to a brand of Uristism. Scientific discoveries abounded during this period and there was a strong undercurrent of magical and physical exploration. However, there was a great deal of chaos underlining the supposed order of imperial society. Fickle, ineffective monarchs dotted the historical time-line, leading to several political purges and more than a few succession crises. This was as much an age of strife as it was an age of reason.
During the period, the Imperium expanded the territory under it's control, establishing a new settlement, Nova Atlantia, on the hillsides of the eastern coast of the island. Airships, crewed by curious adventurers and naturalists mapped out the boundaries of the continent of Thule, encountering new races and civilizations.
Republican History
The Avalonian Republic, established in 1864 AE, was marked by four distinctive periods. The early Republic, from 1864 BAE to about 1984 AE, continued the trend of cultural, scientific, and magical advancements established in the last centuries of the Imperium. This period of time also marked the most politically invigorated and innovative time in Republican history. Contact with the Alfar in 1984 AE eventually led to a period of more than 3,000 years of isolation and marks the beginning of the second major period of history in the Republic. Although the Avalonian Republic would not officially close its borders until 2081 AE, the period of trade and outward expansion and exploration came to a sharp end in 1984 AE. Most historians admit that the Avalonian Republic's collective obsession with avoiding conquest by the Alfar would affect Avalonian society to the present day. Avalon's famous mage soujourners also began as an institution around this time. Throughout three millenia, those mages that went out into the distant lands would represent Avalon's only link to the outside world.
The third period of time was marked by the arrival of the Necromancer Lords. 3,000 years of stagnation took its toll on the Republic and knowledge of the fall of the Alfar only seemed to push Avalonian society further towards entropic collapse. The discovery of the Nercomancers shook the Republic out of its spiraling cycle of institutional rot and political stagnation. Less than half a decade after their discovery, first contact between the Necromancer Lords and Avalon resulted in bloodshed with the complete annihilation of the Necromancer exploration force. Throughout the next decade, two more invasion attempted would be thwarted including the final and largest attempt resulting in the Necromancer Invasion of 5161. Though the "Necromatic Period" was the shortest period in Republican history, historians believe the Necromatic wars played a pivotal role in the development of the Republic in modern times. The war resulted in a complete reformation of almost every single major government, political, and social institution and set the stage for the end of Avalonian Isolation.
The final period runs from 5200 AE, at the end of the Necromatic War to the present. Like the first half-century of the early Republic, this period of time was characterized by rapid economic, scientific, and magical advancement followed by intensive political reform and liberalization of social and foreign policies. Time will tell if this trend will continue, or be cut short another incident like the Alfar first contact.
Politics
Magecraft and Magic
Magical Scholars and
Geography
Main Article: Domains of the Avalonian Republic
The Avalonian Republic's territory comprises the entirety of the surface of Eastern Island off the east coast of Thule as well as various subterranean spaces. No natural rivers run through the area and fresh water is obtained entirely from aquifers and primitive desalination plants along the coast. Several different terrains can be found on Eastern Island although the island is primarily dominated by the tall peaks of the Olympic Mountain range. In addition to their great height, the Olympic peaks are covered in snow year-round, often with furious seasonal blizzards raging around them. The foot of the mountains are somewhat more temperate, like the rest of the island. Still, winter generally covers almost two seasons on most of the island. The Olympic Valley, a magical verdant and temperate patch of land lies nestled within two of the highest Olympic peaks. Unlike the rest of the mountain range, it experiences a more typical weather pattern. Winters can be chillingly cold, but still hospitable unlike the rest of the mountains. To the east of the mountains lie the slightly less treacherous Hills of the Norn which lead all the way to the eastern coast of the island. Tundra-like wilds spread to the northwest and a small patch of relatively warm, fertile, and temperate land, the Penelopean Fields, lies to the southwest.
Below the surface, vast Underdark lightfields reign within the mountains. Unlike the surface, temperatures tend to stay within a warm and temperate range. Strange magical orbs light the fields, simulating sunlight and the rocky soil is surprisingly fertile. This allows a long growing season.
The core of the Avalonian Republic resides within the Underdark Lightfield surrounding the city of Asgarth underneath the skyrange mountains. Avalon, the capital city lies nestled within the Olympic Valley. The only other major settlement, Nova Atlantia, lies in Vertha Province on the Hills of the Norn east of the Olympic ranges.
Military
Main Article: Military of the Avalonian Republic
Historically speaking, Avalon's military has consisted of traditional formations of poorly protected but heavily armed infantry formations, led by a small contingent of elite troops or 'knights'. This structure persisted for the most part even through the Republican era, even though 'knights' no longer existed as a military or social class. The invention of the Arquebus furthered the tendency to rely on disposable troops. Mages were also heavily relied upon, given the magical tendencies of Avalonians as a civilization, but they were never fully incorporated into the military. Airships were utilized as well, but there no distinctive military doctrine or tactics were developed to take advantage of air-power.
By the time the modern Republic came around, this situation became unacceptable and untenable. Avalon's brief brush with the Necromancer Lords in the late 2100s essentially gutted the military. Out of a force of over 20,000 soldiers, only 4000 survived. An entire generation of young Avalonian men were wiped out leading to a brief population crisis. With new technology gained form the Necromatic War, the reorganized Army of the Republic focused instead on a small, but technologically advanced, well armed and well armored infantry force working in conjunction with the Avalonian Navy, the Guild of Mages and mechanized units.