Dardanth Empire

Dardanth Empire Buiule Darzãe
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Botiw rūhor sīh! "Behold Mother!"
Anthem: Ū Dānsi Boti, Hirniwu Oryr Kōntys Sīh "O Moon Mother, Bless Our Empress"
Capital		Dãezyzoiser
Official languages		Sod
Ethnic groups		89.2% Sod 6% Vronzhan 4.8% Zbeshkan
Area
-	Total	412,300 km2 159,190 sq mi
Population
-	2020 estimate	20,314,021
-	Density	49.27/km2 127.6/sq mi
Gini		39 medium
HDI		0.784 high
Time zone		-10
Drives on the		right

The Dardanth Empire (Holy Sod: Bīoly Dardānþ [ˈbiːoly ˈdardaːnθ], Vernacular Sod: Buiule Dyrzãe [bui̯ule dəʁzãi̯]), is a political entity in Atsiq.

History

Grand Unconquered Empire | Ȳwy Glonkþ Kogmiloiētuty (934-1845)

The Empire was a loosely-confederated union of distinct fiefdoms ruling most of Atsiq for almost a thousand years starting with the reign of Dānsasōlsy I, and ending with the assassination of Dānsasōlsy XIX Kārby Bȳrozy and the wars of the Atsiqan Collapse.

Formation of the Empire - Dānsasōlsy

There are no written records of the foundation of the Queendom of Sodīby. However, it is known that by the 9th century, it was a small but wealthy polity on the fertile Barsa river delta, ruled by the House of Boppānsīby for at least two centuries. Throughout the century preceding the ascension of Dānsasōlsy I, the members of House Boppānsīby became major diplomatic players in Southeastern Atsiq, intermarrying many of the most influential houses in the region. This policy bore fruit when, in 929, the Queen Kōntyr of Kēa died without a female heir, leaving to her son's wife, Dānsasōlsy of Sodīby, the rule of the Queendom of Kēa and the most powerful military in the region. Siezing the moment, Dānsasōlsy's mother, Queen Uwukugrisy of Sodīby, abdicates in favor of her daughter, effectively placing her in charge of two of the most strategically important regions on Atsiq. Both Queendoms were, at the time, frequently visited by Naguan traders, bringing with them new technologies, plants, animals, and writing. This last innovation was studied closely by Dānsasōlsy in her teenage years, and she was likely a close friend of the unnamed inventor of the Atsiq script. This later became important in her conquests, as she demanded all the generals learn to read and write and kept close company with scribes, who were instructed to record her commands, meetings, debates, and the history of her conquests.

After consolidating her position and raising an army, Dānsasōlsy delivers an ultimatum to the Theyivate of Ombrōwa in 931, demanding a corridor of land along the Eastern coast of Atsiq in order to unite the two Queendoms. The Theyi refused, and so Dānsasōlsy marched against the Ombrōwasi, defeating them decisively at the Battle of Okāta. This battle saw the first of the many victories of Dānsasōlsy, showcasing her talent for strategy. In the aftermath, Dānsasōlsy proclaims herself Theyi of Ombrōwa, adding to her other titles and beginning the future tradition of Atsiq Emperesses of using the title of Theyi to emphasize the Emperess as a religious authority. During her time in Ombrōwa, Dānsasōlsy requested her fate be read by the priestesses of Hurhoðīb, The Skygazer. The priestesses performed an elaborate ritual with Dānsasōlsy, in which she and the priestesses isolated themselves in a tent for several days, chanting and dancing, repeating prayers to exhaustion. At the end of the ritual, Dānsasōlsy left the tent exhausted and feverish, on the verge of collapse, but the priestesses later revealed that The Skygazer had granted them visions of great conquest.

With renewed vigor, Dānsasōlsy invades the many petty Queendoms of the Thaneki lowlands in 932, defeating them in quick succession. At the battle of Rkikonrdzaš, Dānsasōlsy recognizes the valour and tenacity of the defeated Vronzhan warriors and rewards them by granting the lands of the remaining petty queendoms to Qronzhaš, the defeated Vronzhan petty queen, establishing the vassal Duchy of Vronzhan, who would then rule over the Thaneki lowlands in Dānsasōlsy's name.

Dānsasōlsy spends the winter in Vronzhan, further consolidating and legitimizing the rule of Duchess Qronzhaš over the region. During this time, the rival Queendoms of Selanþ, Kēpeþ and Asirōuw observed Dānsasōlsy's rapid expansion and perceived her armies to be overextended. As such, an alliance was forged between the three Queendoms, seeking to punish Dānsasōlsy's arrogance. By the Spring of 933, all three declared war on the Queendom of Sodīby. Dānsasōlsy lept to action, sending letters and decrees to all her subjects, demanding additional levies be raised and sent to Sodīby. There, general Ȳwahōhþ would brilliantly lead the defense of the queendom, routing the army of Asirōuw at the battle of Barsa. As for Dānsasōlsy herself, she took her army North with lightning speed, marching through the Selanþ mountains in a daring manouver and dealing a crushing blow to the army of Selanþ at the battle of Aōlinuw Bay, before the arrival of the larger Kēpeþ army. Upon their arrival, Dānsasōlsy defeats this superior foe at the battle of Amāka, by encircling the larger Kēpeþ army with her own smaller force. With this crushing blow, the Alliance is left crippled, due to its most powerfull army being taken out of the picture. By this point, the largest of the Sodīby armies, under Ȳwahōhþ, was split in two, with one army marching into Asirōuw and the second invading Kēpeþ from the north. With Asirōuw and Selanþ on the defensive, and Kēpeþ surrounded from all sides, the Alliance simply lacked the numbers with which to deal with so many threats. By the end of the year, all three Queendoms had surrendered. The Queens of the defeated Queendoms were gathered at Dānsasōlsy's warcamp, at the site of te battle of Amāka, to witness the creation of a new nation. Here, Dānsasōlsy proclaimed the creation of the Grand Unconquered Empire, which would later be known as the Great Atsiq Empire. Dānsasōlsy crowned herself Dānsasōlsy I, Emperess and Theyi of all Atsiq. The capital city of Sodīby was to be renamed to Dānsasōlsiby in honour of the new Emperess, and the sites of the battles of Amāka and Aōlinuw Bay were to be made into new cities, to be named Dānsasōlsiby Amākuw and Dānsasōlsiby Selannuw respectively.

Dānsasōlsy would spend the rest of her days consolidating her rule, quelling unrest and establishing the institutions necessary to efficiently rule over such a vast Empire. While she dreamed to unite all of Atsiq, she now faced a much more competent rival in the form of the Empire of Kolikon. While she fought several campaigns against Kolikon, she was ultimately unsuccessful, and the borders between both Empires barely moved during her reign. She also worked on furthering her line and guaranteeing the line of succession, by having 5 children, including 3 daughters. She would die in 958, at the age of 54, of a sudden illness. She was succeeded by her eldest daughter, Hnohasy I.

Formation of the Empire - Hnohasy

TBD lolë

Sod Republic | Yreftōþuw Sodmy (1860-1879) - Democracy

A short period of experimental democracy after centuries of the Empire's decay. Crippled with inefficiency, corruption, and debt, the Republic soon began to be infested with extremist factions vying for control while the Empire's core territories began to be chipped away from both external and internal conflicts.

During this tumultous period, the Empire's traditionalist values began to be challenged by "Humanization" (Sod: Rytȳnzirapþ) as trade with the outside world began to grow.

Sod Republic | Yreftōþuw Sodmy (1879-1917) - Dictatorship

The Mur-At, short for the Pan-Atsiq Workers’ Union (BMAG) (Holy Sod: Bīyr Mur-Atsȳksuly Gīngligyngsyw), a far-right nationalist faction led by Ktari Filini, seized power through a popular coup against corruption within the democratic government. Aiming to completely remove Atsiq away from its self-portrayed decadence and Humanized aspects of society, the coup members were predominantly from right-wing factions. Through through her charisma, peasant background, and popular support from her successful putsch and her prior military experience, members of the various parties growingly accepted participation within Filini's party. After several years of consolidating power and rebuilding the military through modernization and banking schemes, Filini’s dictatorship was secured.

Once Filini’s efforts to rebuild were well underway and her popularity certain, efforts were made to purge members of the party who were “less than reliable” or were seen as not extreme enough to meet the needs of the party. As a result, various offices of the military were forced to resign through various schemes to undermine their roles such as planting evidence that would accuse them of violating social norms or otherwise not being ultimately loyal enough to the nation. While much of this did not affect the rank and file, it was mostly a play made to get rid of the most disloyal members of the government.

The main goal of Filinism (Sod: Fīlinimehruw) was to prevent the creation of a local identity built around the Sod ethnicity, by clinging to the idea of a unified Atsiq and the concept of a common Aitic identity. It sought to protect Atsiq from its perceived appropriation and exploitation from the outside world throught the creation of a Neo Atsiq Empire, one built on spheres of influence and economic ties rather than direct subjugation. Filinism supported state corporatism, benefiting companies that aligned with Filini’s goals for domination of the continent. Other measures were implemented to further restrict or hinder foreign influence on Atsiq, such as outlawing the direct ownership and operation of a business by anyone with Human ancestry or relationship. This led to action by paramilitary movements within the government’s association to act out on their own accord to openly mark these businesses for mobs and release the census work detailing what businesses were owned by who.

However, Filini's plans relied heavily on the compliance of other Atsiqan states, who were meant to fall into the Sod Republic's sphere of influence and tie themselves economically to it. Ideological differences and distrust towards Filini herself, which stemmed from fears that she would attempt to invade the rest of Atsiq, led to all other states gradually backing out of the arrangement, especially as Filini's policies grew increasingly more radical. This eventually led to the fall of her regime. Economic stagnation and the isolation brought by Filini's policies, coupled with the prosperity and innovation enjoyed by the other Atsiqan states who were establishing relations abroad, led to her assassination. In the aftermath, the monarchy was restored, and the Dardanth Empire proclaimed.

Dardanth Empire | Buiule Darzãe (1917-)

Following the end of Filini's regime, a council was established, composed of more than 100 members of the old Atsiq Empire's aristocracy, to choose a member of the House of Boppānsīby as the new Emperess. Several candidates were suggested and analyzed, but a consensus was never reached. As such the nation has been in a state of permanent regency, being effectively ruled by the Head of the Regency Council, with the council itself serving as an improvised parliament. Recently, there has been a push to finalize the process and definitively elect the new Emperess, but the council has yet to reach a conclusion. The nation has rebranded itself the Dardanth Empire, to avoid dropping any tenuous claim it might stil have on the old Empire. However, it has not attempted to pursue this claim in any way, and generally speaking, relations between Dardanth and the remaining Atsiqan states have improved, relative to Filini's era.