The Hartheran Union, commonly named Harthera, is an imperialist maritime nation state dominating the northeast of Anásthiasplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnásthias

Anásthias [a-NAS-thee-ass / ænæsθiːæs], or [an-ass-THEE-as] is an equatorial island continent, heart of the Civilised World. The north straddles the equator and is hot and humid, while most of the equatorial centre is an upland plateau with fertile river valleys, and stretches of arid plains and desert in the shadow of the mountains. The south is temperate but more wild, separated from the civilisations of the north by the almost impassable HartheraOrorr. It is one of the two great powers of the modern epochplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigModern Epoch (ME)

The Modern Calendar is a dating system acknowledged throughout the Civilised World. It numbers years from the Modern Epoch, abbreviated ME and BME (Before Modern Epoch). It is also called the Modern Era.

Calendar

This is in a series of articles about calendars and dating systems.HMOrorrHartheraHMOrorrHartheraOrorrOrorrHMHartheraHMHartheraOrorr, arguably the most technologically and militarily powerful nation in the world, only matched by the vast size and wealth of its neighbour, Ororrplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigOrorr

Ororr [o-ROARR, ɒ̝rɔ'ɾ], also called the Holy Motherland of Ororr, is a theocratic nation in Anásthias, one of the world's great powers. It the largest nation in the world, perhaps the largest empire in history, occupying the entire northwest of the continent between the mountains and the sea. Ororrviridlanguagelanguagelanguage.

In recent centuries Harthera has expanded from a land-based empire to a maritime empire, invading the islands of Besoaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBesoa

Besoa [BEH-sso-AH], or Bizoa (Hartraan), is the largest island in the southern reach of the Natorn Archipelago. Today it is synonymous with the United Kingdom of Besoa.

Modern Besoa c.1100 ME | Go to world map

Besoa in the Two Nations period, 38-1092 ME

Besoa in the Four Kingdoms period, c.1200 BME - 35 ME BMEHartheraHartheranHartheraHartheranAnrelHartheranHartheranMEOrorrHartheraOrorrOrorr and Antyokplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAntyok

Antyok or Antyoq [ant-YOK, uhn-CHOK] is an island in the Natorn Archipelago, due east of Besoa. It was formerly an independent nation, the Principality of Antyok, but since 1086 ME, following the Bizoan War, it is now under Hartheran dominion.

Antyok

This is in a series of articles about Antyok, an island nation in the HartheranHartheranHartheran after a bloody war, and most recently annexing the Eastern Islesplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigEastern Isles (New Perech)

The Eastern Isles, also called New Perech or the Spice Islands, are a tropical island group in the Redeeming Ocean at 13ºS, 3300 km from the mainland of Harthera, 4125 km from the port of Narillin. The islands have a highly diverse population of virid plant species, several of which are prized as flavourings or HartheranHartheranHartheranHartheranHartheraHartheran, renaming them New Perech. It also has extensive influence in Munatanplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigMunatan

Munatan [Moo-Nah-Tahn] is the southernmost region of Anásthias, south of the Dun Trisan mountains. The name possibly derives from a ancient Thalsic, meaning “Land of One Sun”, since the daystar is not visible in the southern hemisphere. Or it may be a reference to the Manthi people who were once the majority population of western Munatan. The term is an OrorrOrorrOrorrHartheraHartheraOrorrOrorrOrorrHartheraHartheraHartheran, with control of numerous trade enclaves in the port cities of the south.

Hartheran history began with the mass Jundaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigJunda People

The Junda are an Iskean-ethnic people found throughout the Junda Isles and the northeast coast of Anásthias, whose conquest of the mainland led to the foundation of the modern state of Harthera.

Historically they were notable for their shamanic religion and unique calendar, the Junda stormscale.

Junda peoples commonly raided the coasts for food and goods, having little of worth to trade on their home islands. They were accidentally instrumental in the downfall of the migrations from their home in the Junda Islesplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigJunda Isles

The Junda Isles [JUN-der] are an island group off the northeast coast of Harthera, traditionally inhabited by the Junda people, and now part of the Hartheran cordrome of Perudd and the Isles.

The group consists of six large islands and dozens of smaller ones, each with their own dialect and cultural variations.HartheranHartheran, and their almost accidental conquest of the city of Vahldoya (modern-day Vahltorplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigVahltor

Vahltor is the capital city of Harthera (also: Vultor, Vuhltore; archaic names: Biyahl, Bahl Dorr, Buldoya). It is one of the grandest, wealthiest and most powerful cities in the world, but its surrounding walls limit the city's expansion, creating cramped streets, oppressive towers, poor housing, poverty, disease and squalor in its poorest quarters. It is colloquially known as HartheranBMEBMEHartheranHartheraHartheraHartheranHartheranHartheranHartheranHartheraHartheranHartheranHarthera…). This began a long and difficult fusion of culture between the Junda islanders and the agrarian Saloyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigSaloya

Referring to the historic civilisation, the Grand Palatinate of Saloya.. The turbulent new state gradually conquered its neighbours to form an empire, swallowing up neighbouring kingdoms to the south and former provinces of the old Empire of Dor-en-Sannplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigEmpire of Dor-en-Sann

The Empire of Dor-en-Sann, [DOORR-enn-SAHN] also called the EnSanni Empire, was the largest empire in history. It dominated central Anásthias for nearly two thousand years, from 1903 BME, until the conquest of Galkesh in 59 ME. The empire consisted of hundreds of ethnic groups and cultures, its people were collectively called the MEMEHartheraOrorrOrorrHMOrorrherHMlanguageHartheraME to the west.

The Dun Jaen mountains and the rise of Ororrplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigOrorr

Ororr [o-ROARR, ɒ̝rɔ'ɾ], also called the Holy Motherland of Ororr, is a theocratic nation in Anásthias, one of the world's great powers. It the largest nation in the world, perhaps the largest empire in history, occupying the entire northwest of the continent between the mountains and the sea. Ororrviridlanguagelanguagelanguage checked the nation's policy of expansion, and a number of border wars led to a period of peace. From 407 - 571 MEplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigModern Epoch (ME)

The Modern Calendar is a dating system acknowledged throughout the Civilised World. It numbers years from the Modern Epoch, abbreviated ME and BME (Before Modern Epoch). It is also called the Modern Era.

Calendar

This is in a series of articles about calendars and dating systems.HMOrorrHartheraHMOrorrHartheraOrorrOrorrHMHartheraHMHartheraOrorr the resurgent aristocracy, influenced by the Hexact doctrineplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHexact Doctrine

The Hexact Doctrine is a philosophy of government developed in Anrel in the early 3rd century ME, with the aim of creating governments that benefited the health, wealth and wellbeing of its citizens. It is the model for many governments throughout the AnrelMEMEAnrelAnrelAnrelAnrelAnrelAnrelAnrel, established the Hartheran Commonwealthplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHartheran Commonwealth

The Hartheran Commonwealth was a constitutional monarchy which ruled Harthera for 164 years, from 407-571 ME. The Commonwealth period marked a shift in the balance of power in the region back to the old Saloyan elites who were still wealthy landowners, particularly in the old, eventually overthrown.

Less than a century ago border wars with Otekahréplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigOtekahré

Otekahré [oh-tek-AH-ray] (also called Anarthis in Harthera), is the southeastern region of Anásthias, lying south of Harthera and east of the Dun Jaen mountains. The region has no central governments, but the cities and polities are joined in a loose cultural and economic league, called HartheraOrorrHartheraOrorr led to Harthera annexing the Narillplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigNarill

Narill [na-RILL] is a coastal cordrome or province of southeastern Harthera.

Harthera

This is in a series of articles about Harthera

* Name: Hartheran Union, Union of Harthera, Uhartrah * Government: Military-Mercantile Oligarchy * Capital: Vahltor * Foundation: 1 ME (Traditional) * peninsula, and Harthera is now in the process of colonising many islands in the Natorn Seaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigNatorn Sea

The Natorn Sea is a region of oceanic ridge, separating the Polassirn Ocean and the Redeeming Ocean. Islands in the ridge form the Natorn Archipelago.

Etymology

The name may be derived from ancient Ahngrit, meaning “near/of our birth”, referring to the legend of the Godmen in which humanity is said to have originated in region now lost beneath the sea. It also relates to the god, with eyes on many other island treasures. Its empire continues to expand, aided by its powerful command of the sea and innovative technology.

The vast expanse of Harthera can be roughly divided into three regions. The north coastal region is equatorial maritime, humid and subject to stormtides and flooding. The northwestern coast has an extensive shallow shelf making much of it hazardous to shipping, with no true deepwater ports. Conversely it is rich in marginal sea life, the staple foodstuffs for the north of the country.

The central inland region was once heavily virid-forested, but was gradually cleared over the last millennium to create a large arable plain. The far southern and western regions are rocky and rugged, interspersed with pockets of virid forest. The country is bordered to the west by the towering mountains of the Dun Jaenplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigDun Jaën

The Dun Jaën [doon jay-ENN] is a mountain range in eastern Anásthias, the northern section of the great arc of mountains which, together with the southerly Dun Trisan, separates Ororr from the remainder of the continent.

The Dun Jaen consists of rugged mountains, including the tallest peaks in the, and to the south by the Broken Landsplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBroken Lands

The Broken Lands is a fractured region of sharp fissures, clefts and gullies, which forms a natural boundary between Harthera and Otekahré.

Otekahré

Hover mouse to see more detail

This is in a series of articles about the region of Otekahré in eastern Anásthias.

The region is an active fault line, where earthquakes have created sharp rifts in the rock, further excavated and eroded by winds and flash flooding. With little soil and little surface water, the Broken Lands are un…, a maze of arid rift valleys almost impossible to traverse.

In simple terms, the Hartheran governmentplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHartheran Government

The government of the Hartheran Union is an oligarchy centralised in Vahltor, where the wealthy rule through a labyrinthine bureaucracy of committees, boards and assemblies who all jealously guard their powers.

Governance

This is in a series of articles on HartheraHartheraHartheraHartheraHartheraHartheranHartheran has a mixed constitution with elements of aristocracy, monarchy, and limited representative democracy.

In reality Harthera's government is a complex and labyrinthine oligarchy, ostensibly controlled by the High Commanders of the Terath familyplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigTerath Family

The Terath Family is a political dynasty whose name holds enormous power and prestige in Harthera. They are descendants of the militaristic Chelidt Trath clan, who in the 7th century overthrew the old kings of the Hartheran Commonwealth period and instigated the modern government of Harthera, presiding over a swamp of assemblies, committees, courts, guilds and vested interests, all vying for supremacy. The present system developed from the rule of the Chelidtplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigChelidt

Chelidt, or Shelidt, is a maritime province in the northeast of Harthera. It is roughly contiguous with the Chelidd States, the regional former regional power annexed by the growing Union of Harthera.

Harthera

This is in a series of articles about Harthera

* Name: Hartheran Union, Union of Overlords and the attempted constitutional monarchy of the Hartheran Commonwealthplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHartheran Commonwealth

The Hartheran Commonwealth was a constitutional monarchy which ruled Harthera for 164 years, from 407-571 ME. The Commonwealth period marked a shift in the balance of power in the region back to the old Saloyan elites who were still wealthy landowners, particularly in the old, but has evolved into an oligarchy of one sprawling family, the Teraths often taking promising leaders into their ranks either by marriage or adoption.

In practice government is exercised in three centres of power in the city of Vahltor: the Detatednplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigDetatedn

The Detatedn [deh-tat-AYD-n], or Detatedn Palace, is a labyrinthine fortress in the city of Vahltor, capital of the Hartheran Union. The palace is the traditional centre of power of the Overlords of Harthera, though today most of the practical running of the nation is devolved to other buildings in the city., the seat of central government and the military High Command; the Bireilundtplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBireilundt (Palace)

The Bireilundt or Bireilundt Palace is a vast government building in the Eilunn district of the Hartheran capital, Vahltor. It is the heart of the Hartheran justice system, housing the vast judicial bureaucracy of the Courts.

Its architecture is a clash of styles from the grandiose to the brutalist. By a quirk of history the south end of the building it is also official headquarters of the Admiralty of the, home to the Courts of Justice and the Admiralty; and the Metrosandendt, home to the civil bureaucracy and the various government Commissions.

The High Commanders supposedly exercise supreme executive authority, but beneath them are the Commissioners, responsible for all other areas of civil government. Below these are the Burearch-Directors, who oversee the smooth running of the Bureaucracy as a whole, and appoint the Burearch-Generals, the chief officials of each government department.

While supreme decision-making is by Command, the Commissioners are responsible for formulating and enacting internal policy. Crucially they are also responsible for raising revenue, so that while the High Command has supreme authority, in practice this is balanced by the Bureaucracy using tactics to block funding or enacting of policy.

This system has evolved over many centuries, with the original dictatorship of the Overlords becoming weighed down by layers of government. The system is byzantine in its complexity and thick with interdepartmental scheming and political rivalry, so that although the Teraths are technically in charge, only very strong leaders can force through policies that do not have the full backing of the Commissary and the Burearchs.

Naval Board Naval Commission Commission of the Regions

Administratively the nation is divided into twelve regions, called cordromes, whose regions are set broadly on historic and ethnic lines. Each cordrome has its own central administration which is responsible for its own internal governance, according to policy set by the central government in Vahltorplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigVahltor

Vahltor is the capital city of Harthera (also: Vultor, Vuhltore; archaic names: Biyahl, Bahl Dorr, Buldoya). It is one of the grandest, wealthiest and most powerful cities in the world, but its surrounding walls limit the city's expansion, creating cramped streets, oppressive towers, poor housing, poverty, disease and squalor in its poorest quarters. It is colloquially known as HartheranBMEBMEHartheranHartheraHartheraHartheranHartheranHartheranHartheranHartheraHartheranHartheranHarthera…. Each cordrome has its own military command structure, both for internal security and defence against internal threat.

The Church of Hartrahplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigChurch of Hartrah

The Church of Hartrah is the state religion of Harthera. Adherents believe in a single god who is a fusion of all the righteous ancestors of the nation. Upon death, your spirit is judged by God, and begins a slow process of merging with the Godhead. As a faith it is a syncretism of ancestor-worship and veneration of a monotheistic protector god who is the embodiment of the station. The church strongly promotes respect for family, tradition and heirarchy as well as duty and per… is the established state religion. The faith combines traditional ancestor-worship with a nationalist monotheism, believing that the souls of the dead watch over their offspring whilst gradually ascending to merge into a single consciousness, the universal God of the nation. The state promotes and supports chapels and basilicas throughout the nation, encouraging loyalty and national virtue. Religious feeling is not fanatically enforced, but belief is deep and widespread, particularly in the north, and non-attendance of ceremonies leads to social isolation.

Foreign religions are tolerated in the “open zones” of the major cities, most notably in Harlon, though the government monitors religious groups very closely. Therismplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigMother Church of Ororr (Therism)

The Mother Church is the state religion of Ororr, which combines both religion and government in one institution. It is based on the teachings of the Great Prophet Therion, who in the early decades of the modern era raised an army that conquered much of northwestern OrorrOrorrOrorrOrorrMEOrorrMEMEOrorrOrorrHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerher is viewed with particular suspicion because of rivalry with Ororrplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigOrorr

Ororr [o-ROARR, ɒ̝rɔ'ɾ], also called the Holy Motherland of Ororr, is a theocratic nation in Anásthias, one of the world's great powers. It the largest nation in the world, perhaps the largest empire in history, occupying the entire northwest of the continent between the mountains and the sea. Ororrviridlanguagelanguagelanguage, with most people seeing Therismplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigMother Church of Ororr (Therism)

The Mother Church is the state religion of Ororr, which combines both religion and government in one institution. It is based on the teachings of the Great Prophet Therion, who in the early decades of the modern era raised an army that conquered much of northwestern OrorrOrorrOrorrOrorrMEOrorrMEMEOrorrOrorrHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerher as slavish Occidentalplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigThe Occident

The Occident is the area of the continent of Anásthias west of the Dun Jaen mountains. Historically this meant the old Empire of Dor-en-Sann, as well as the many other nations west of the mountains before the founding of modern Ororr. Contemporary Ensanni writers occasionally used the term to refer to the relatively wild and less inhabited west coast of AnásthiasOrorrOrorrOrorr mysticism. In recent years, following the establishment of diplomatic relations between Harthera and Hesjbagaaiaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHesjbagaaia

Referring to the Kingdom of Hesjbagaaia in Munatan., the government have permitted, and even encouraged, Western Heterodoxplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHeterodox Church

The Holy and Heterodoxic Church of the All-Deity, generally called the Heterodox Church, is a syncretic religion which embraces many historic traditions, believing all faiths are at heart the worship of one essential god, and that there are many routes to achieving transcendence.her missionaries to preach and convert Therists in Munatanplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigMunatan

Munatan [Moo-Nah-Tahn] is the southernmost region of Anásthias, south of the Dun Trisan mountains. The name possibly derives from a ancient Thalsic, meaning “Land of One Sun”, since the daystar is not visible in the southern hemisphere. Or it may be a reference to the Manthi people who were once the majority population of western Munatan. The term is an OrorrOrorrOrorrHartheraHartheraOrorrOrorrOrorrHartheraHartheraHartheran.

Harthera's aggressive militarism has led to poor relations with its neighbours. It's most longstanding enmity is with Ororr, whose vast size, wealth and religious authority is currently the only check to Harthera's imperial expansion. Ever since the founding of Harthera there have been border tensions between the two nations, with Harthera quickly devouring the old EnSanni province of Gedoqplugin-autotooltip__small. In the middle centuries ME Hartherans settled in towns and villages on coast of the northeast province of Cavann in Ororr. Their demands for autonomy has led to a number of purges by Ororr, leading to reprisals by Harthera.

Otekahréplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigOtekahré

Otekahré [oh-tek-AH-ray] (also called Anarthis in Harthera), is the southeastern region of Anásthias, lying south of Harthera and east of the Dun Jaen mountains. The region has no central governments, but the cities and polities are joined in a loose cultural and economic league, called HartheraOrorrHartheraOrorr to the south has long been a tempting target for the military government, but the tortured desert of the Broken Landsplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBroken Lands

The Broken Lands is a fractured region of sharp fissures, clefts and gullies, which forms a natural boundary between Harthera and Otekahré.

Otekahré

Hover mouse to see more detail

This is in a series of articles about the region of Otekahré in eastern Anásthias.

The region is an active fault line, where earthquakes have created sharp rifts in the rock, further excavated and eroded by winds and flash flooding. With little soil and little surface water, the Broken Lands are un…, the treacherous waters off the Foundering Seaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigFoundering Sea

The Foundering Sea lies off the east coast of Anásthias, between the Gulf of Narill and the Horn of Sere, the southeast tip of the continent.

Otekahré

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This is in a series of articles about the region of Otekahré in eastern Anásthias.

It is named both for the lands of, and what Hartherans consider to be the sheer weirdness and corrupting nature of its people has limited Hartheran expansion southwards.

Relations with the twin nations of Besoaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBesoa

Besoa [BEH-sso-AH], or Bizoa (Hartraan), is the largest island in the southern reach of the Natorn Archipelago. Today it is synonymous with the United Kingdom of Besoa.

Modern Besoa c.1100 ME | Go to world map

Besoa in the Two Nations period, 38-1092 ME

Besoa in the Four Kingdoms period, c.1200 BME - 35 ME BMEHartheraHartheranHartheraHartheranAnrelHartheranHartheranMEOrorrHartheraOrorrOrorr was cordial enough until the early 10th century, when conflicts between Ororr and Harthera led to the former giving preferential trade agreements to ships from the Kingdom of Sann'alplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigKingdom of Sann'al

The Kingdom of Sann'al [SAN-AL sæn'æl] (from arch. Senna'al), also called Royal Sann'al or simply Sannal, was a historic nation in the northern half of the island of Besoa that existed from its founding c.1500 BME, to 1092 ME when it was annexed by BME - essentially allowing the Sann'ali a monopoly on high value shipping between Toborrplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigToborr

Toborr [toe-BORR] is a historic port city at the mouth of the River Wiyel, the most important port in modern Ororr, and arguably the greatest shipping port in the world. Toborr City lies on an island in the river mouth, but now encompasses a conurbation which surrounds the whole estuary bay, including the city of Therion and Harlonplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHarlon

Harlon is the largest and most prosperous city in the world. Sitting at the mouth of River Velun, it is the greatest city in Harthera, a vast metropolis of docks, shipyards, markets, with a multiplicity of languages and communities which make it the foremost trade and shipping port in the world. storm tidesHarthera, the two busiest ports of Ororr and Harthera. A small island nation thumbing it's nose at the world's greatest maritime power was considered an insult, and in 1090 launched the Bizoan Warplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBizoan War and Occupation

The Bizoan War (1086-1092 ME) was a war of conquest by the Hartheran Union against the islands of Besoa and Antyok. The invasion lasted was followed by a period of Occupation from 1092-1114 ME. Besoa was liberated by nationalist forces led by the Sann'ali Court-in-Exile, who established the HartheranHartheraHartheraHartheranOrorrHartheranAnrelOrorrHartheraHartheranHartheranHartheraHartheraHartheraHartheraHartheraHartheranHartheranHartheranHartheraHartheranHartheraHarth…, which crushed island opposition and led to the annexation of Besoa and Antyokplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAntyok

Antyok or Antyoq [ant-YOK, uhn-CHOK] is an island in the Natorn Archipelago, due east of Besoa. It was formerly an independent nation, the Principality of Antyok, but since 1086 ME, following the Bizoan War, it is now under Hartheran dominion.

Antyok

This is in a series of articles about Antyok, an island nation in the HartheranHartheranHartheran.

Harthera is the most technology developed nation of the modern world, skilled in civil engineering, military hardware and ship construction.