Castrios

[Castrios]

Full Name of Nation: The Democratic States of Castrios

Brief History: Settled in recent times by people from the land of Exal, Castrios was once the center of a large island empire that vanished in a great cataclysm millennia ago. Ruins of this mysterious empire dot the island nation, massive temples still buried deep beneath the jungle of the Juraja region. The island has gone through several great regional dynasties, such as the Loteri family of Machia and the Leohet family of Leomes. Their empires often stretched across most of Castrios, the last great dynasty being the one that ruled the Empire of Leomesia, the Leomei. After the fall of the Leomesian Empire, a great alliance began to form between the various regions until, finally, the majority of the island regions joined in a Union, the Democratic States of Castrios. They founded a new capital, named Castrum, in the center of the island and entered a prosperous Golden Age of peace. The rest of the island regions joined the Union one by one until, today, all regions on and around Castrios became part of this great alliance. Seeking greater cooperation with and understanding of their neighboring island nations, the Democratic States of Castrios recently unanimously chose to join the 10,000 Islands.

One common theme amongst citizens of Castrios is the affiliation they feel towards the nation and people of Exal, whom they share a common ancestry with. Trips to Exal remain the #1 vacation of choice for Castriosans, and diplomatic relations tend to be quite favorable between the two nations.

Castrios has also established friendly relations with the people of Shadowtech Demons, leading to a mutual defense treaty being signed by President John Zenta of Castrios and President Devlin of Shadowtech Demons.

Government

Government Type: Constitutional Democracy

Capital: Castrum; population 3 million

Government Notes:

The government consists of two main Houses: the Parliament and the Senate. There are 96 seats in Parliament and 32 in the Senate. They share roughly equal power and can effectively veto either House’s decision if they so choose (within limits). Bills are created and brought to a vote, after careful and honest deliberation, first in the Parliament, and if it passes there, it will be sent to the Senate. The same procedure occurs in the Senate, where any senator can propose relevant additions and clarifications to the bill which are then also voted on. If the bill also passes in the Senate, it is then sent back to the Parliament, where the overall resulting bill is again voted on. If the bill is not satisfactory, it will again be sent back to the Senate for modification. If this goes on for any inordinate amount of time, the ultimate decision falls upon the President, who will make his/her choice to approve or reject the bill based upon the evidence for either case, presented by a member of Parliament and a member of the Senate, one For and one Against. Ultimately, this system benefits all three parties: the Parliament creates and initiates the bill whilst maintaining a potential veto, the Senate has roughly equal power in regards to passing the bill and is the only House capable of proposing and adding relevant things onto the bill, and the President has ultimate say on the bill, so long as the Houses are in a deadlock. Adversely, if a bill has 75%+ approval within both Houses, the President cannot veto it under any circumstances.

As has been stated, there is a President of sorts, though their powers are highly-scrutinized and restricted except in certain situations (imminent war on home soil, etc.). The President’s role in Castrios’ government is to act as a mediator between the parties, and to serve the needs of Castrios as a whole (not just the supporters of a chosen party). As such, Castrios’ President is not a member of any political party. Castriosans hold an initial vote for luminaries, intelligentsia, and the like, that they would want to see as their head representative in government. After this initial vote brings the best five candidates to the fore, Castriosans are compelled to research what their candidates’ ideals are and what they are involved in (science, labor, business, etc.). After this and subsequent live debates, Castriosans again vote for one of these five candidates, this time also checking off their #2 choice, in case of a rare deadlock. In that case, the #2 choices will be tallied, and whoever has the most votes will become the next President (if this is still somehow not enough, the old President will choose from the two remaining candidates, on behalf of his constituents). This is also the system used for determining Members of Parliament and Senators (excluding the first part involving random choices).

The government has been very stable in recent years, though there have been large shake-ups during regional conflicts regarding resources in the past (most notably, the push for a large Jurajan forestry industry, which saw many politicians campaigning on environmentalist platforms, particularly the established Socialists, win by a landslide over their more corporate-minded opponents).

Political Parties:

President: John Zenta

Socialist Party (43% Parliament; 37% Senate)
Leader: Erica Soletos

Labor Party (26% Parliament; 28% Senate)
Leader: Michael Ekir

Business Party (15% Parliament; 17% Senate)
Leader: Greg Gafra

Green Party (10% Parliament; 2% Senate)
Leader: Rebecca Meliko

West Castrios Party (3% Parliament; 14% Senate)
Leader: David Polesa

East Castrios Party (2% Parliament; 1% Senate)
Leader: Sarah Michaels

Nega Party (1% Parliament; 1% Senate)
Leader: Nitua Mituho

NOTE: The difference between the Socialist and Labor parties is that the Labor Party is more inclined to vote against more taxes and taking things out of the hands of the people themselves, though not to the extent that the Business Party supports. The West/East Castrios parties are parties that represent regional interests of Machia/Verusia/Polerta/Heraia and Leomes/Muotura/Juraja respectively. The Nega Party represents the interests of both Hynega and Olnega.

Flag:

Geography

Area: 2,157,662 km squared

Climate: Generally temperate, though shorelines tend to be more tropical in nature, and the mountainous regions tend to be much cooler.

Elevation Extremes

Highest Point: 8,615 meters above sea level (Mount Kivos, in Machia)
Lowest Point: 9,604 meters below sea level (Sestol Ridge, off the coast of Juraja)

Natural Resources

Large amounts of copper, zinc, iron, diamonds, etc., mostly in Machia, Muotura, and Olnega
Trees in the western half of the island
Fruit from Verusian orchards and outlying Jurajan villages
Fish of all types
Phoenixwood from Muotura and the northern edges of Leomes

Natural Hazards

Most notably, Mount Juteka, which is solely responsible for the destruction of the Ceretian Empire. It has not erupted with significant force since then.

Notable Geographical Features

Mount Kivos, the highest peak on Castrios
Mount Juteka, the island’s largest volcano
Lakes Sedra and Myra
Kretagan Marshland

People & Culture

Population: 32 million (at last count)

Major Cities (Name, Population):

Castrum, 3 million
Leosa, 2.5 million
Poroca, 2.3 million
Emerita, 2 million
Mihyana, 1.7 million
Utraga, 1.3 million
Thodren, 1.2 million
Horonos, 950,000
Valor Watch, 560,000
Sestol, 228,000

Life Expectancy: 82

Ethnic Groups:

Castriosan/Exalian (73%), Ishkabibberian (15%), Estaylandian (10%), Otupian (1%), Ceretian (1%).

Religions:

Christian (56%), Buddhist (22%), Muslim (14%), Athiest/Agnostic (6%), other religions (2%).

Languages:

English is the majority language, though Arabic, Spanish, French, Latin, and Mandarin are also taught in schools and spoken by various segments of society. There is also the native Ceretian language spoken by the tribes of Nega, though this language is generally too complicated and foreign for most Castriosans to understand and speak fluently.

Technology Level:

9 (Modern)

Technology Culture:

Modern

Major Landmarks & Tourist Attractions:

Mount Juteka
Mount Kivos
Machian Mountains
Verusian orchards
The Palaces of Loteri, Feresa, Leomei, and Leohet
Lake Sedra & Lake Myra
Sestol and the neighboring jungle
Valor Watch and the Fortress of Vicus
The Pleasure Dens of Thodren

Economy

Currency: Castria

Trade Philosophy: Government-regulated free enterprise

Major Industries: Farming, tourism, fishing, mining

Unemployment Rate: 3%

Military

Chief Commanding Officer: Commander-General Damien Hetolo

Size: Notable

Notable Units & Special Forces:

Black Phantoms (night-time paratrooper specialists with black ops training and a penchant for stealth)

Leviathan (Special Forces elite navy flotilla, armed with the latest weaponry and the best training possible)

Screaming Harpies (all-female air force regiment; trained in intimidation tactics and potentially-suicidal bombing runs)

Leomes 6th (elite army regiment, each member chosen at the age of 6 and trained solely for combat and black ops).

Notable Weapons and Technology:

Phoenix Bullets/Shells/Missiles (bullets/shells/missiles coated with an extract of the Phoenixwood tree bark, which causes immense inflammation in a target and/or serves as the fuel needed to ignite a very hot blaze upon impact)

Awards:

Vicus Medal of Valor (the highest honor any military personnel could aspire to; rewards phenomenal bravery and determination against all odds)

[Castrios]

NOTE: Work in progress...

NOTE: "CER-E-TI-AN", "CAST-RIOS", etc. indicate which part of the word corresponds with which word one might understand in English. Ex. CER = People, E = Of, TI = The, AN = Snake

An Extended History of Castrios

BU = Before Union
AU = After Union

Current Year: 1354 AU

The Ceretian Empire

Time Period: ?? BU - ~5000 BU

Castrios’ native population, the Ceretians (means "people of the snake" in Ceretian; CER-E-TI-AN), was very different from today’s. What little knowledge remains of their vast empire (which spanned several islands) is vague and primarily mythic in nature. Their civilization seems to have been very similar to the Aztecs or Mayans, though somewhat more advanced (they had knowledge of gunpowder and the tribes who lived in the central plains were adept with the riding of horses). Their capital was somewhere in the Jurajan jungle, which back then was a vast wetland. Many great monuments and temples were created to honor their gods and more prominent kings, whom they believed were ordained as demigods. The ruins of these massive temples lie buried in the endless swathe of jungle, whereas the monuments (statues and the like) are scattered throughout Castrios in various states of disrepair (most are largely just stone blocks with feet on top or have carvings set into them).

At the time of their fall, through their astrology, they had sensed a great cataclysm was coming that could potentially wipe out their civilization. They beseeched the gods to save them from their fate, sacrificing thousands of their citizens in elaborately gruesome rituals, to no avail. Mount Juteka, on the now-offshore island of Heraia, erupted with such force that it sunk the northern half of the vast open plain that once stretched from Machia to Muotura. This massive disruption in the makeup of the island radically morphed the local weather patterns, turning the current-day region of Juraja from a lush wetland into an overgrown, disease-ridden sea of trees within only a decade. Other regions on the island were also affected greatly, such as Muotura, whose high mountain peaks were once mere hills a few millenia ago.

As a result of this cataclysm, the Ceretian Empire and its people descended into a a decline of unspecified length, after which the only functioning remnants of their once-proud culture remained on the mountainous island of Nega, off Castrios' east coast. Today, these few survivors are citizens of the Democratic States of Castrios and have adequate representation within governmental circles. They have benefited greatly from the twin boons of military expenditures in Hynega and capitalist expenditures in Olnega. However, the mystery of what truly occurred in those dark days of decline has either been lost to time or is being kept secret within the scattered tribes of Ceretians on Nega.

The Castriosans

Time Period: ~3600 BU - 3300 BU

Castrios (means "white sand" in ancient Exalian; CAST-RIOS) was settled in ancient times by people hailing from the island of Exal sometime before 3500 BU (the Ceretian Empire began its decline and ultimate demise approximately 2000 years prior, in 5500 BU). Seeking the freedom and adventure of settling a new land, they set off for the island they would come to call Castrios (the first thing they saw of Castrios was the endless white sand beaches of Verusia). Landing on the western coastline near the future settlement of Mihyana, they began their trek inland, discovering along the way the vast resources and temperate climate of Castrios. The initial settlers eventually reached the Machian Mountains (which the region of Machia ["iron tower" in ancient Exalian] is named for; MA-CHIA). At this point, two-thirds of the settling party decided to head south again, while the other third remained to settle into small fishing villages and mining towns, along Machia’s eastern coast and the southeastern Machian mountain range, respectively.

The remainder of the settlers headed south and east, a small few returning to their landing site and establishing a beachhead they referred to as "Mihyana" (which means "new beginnings" in ancient Exalian; MIH-YANA) that would serve as the center for trade and politics in the Verusian ("heaven's blessing"; VERU-SIA) region until the destruction of the royal estate at Gedara ("gentle waters"; GED-ARA) and the push for a stronger presence in the east led to the construction of New Gedara.

Many chose to stay in the next region the settlers encountered, a land they would soon refer to as "Polerta" ("sea of grass"; makes a weird jump in translation, PO-TA-LER). Still, not all remained. Many more continued onwards, crossing the murky inland waters of the Kretagan Marshland (the Kretagans were a nobility family of usurpers from Leomes who tried to assassinate the entire Leohet family line, but were exiled to this marshland before their plan could be achieved) before finally reaching the vast savannah of Leomes ("Land of the Leo", named for the prominent traditional rulers of the region; another translation jump, MES-LEO). A few hardy adventurers continued north and east from there, with the northern group settling in the rocky, mountainous lands of Muotura ("demon trees"; MUO-TURA) and the eastern group disappearing into the Jurajan ("mystery/death", an odd word with two meanings; JURAJA) jungle, never to be seen again.

After some time, a small group of second-generation settlers set sail from the newly-established fishing village of Vallara ("stormy waters"; VALL-ARA) on Polerta's northern coast. They headed north, following the smoke plumes emanating from Mount Juteka ("death-bringer" in Ceretian; JUT-EKA), reaching the island they named Heraia ("island of fire"; HER-AIA) and building a series of makeshift fishing villages.

The island of Nega (evidently means "penance" or "punishment" in Ceretian, as the initial discoverers learned the name of the island from some local tribesmen; NEGA) was discovered by fishermen whilst fishing off Leomes' tiny eastern coastline only a few centuries later. Contact was established with the native peoples there, but the locals remained hostile to outsiders until after the fall of the Leomesian Empire.

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{WORK IN PROGRESS - History from initial settling to Leomesian Empire}

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The Empire of Leomesia

Time Period: 850 BU - 256 BU

After a tumultuous revolution following the end of the War of Succession, the last Leohet family member, Adrian Leohet IV, was hung for treason before a huge audience in the Leomesian capital of Leosa. The victorious family of Leomei assumed the role of monarchical rulers, much to the dismay of Polerta. Having been such staunch adversaries of Polertan interests in Leomes, this development signaled a return to the dark days of the Machian Federation and all the hatred and bloodshed that came as a result.

However, the Leomei did something the Polertans did not expect: they disbanded the old monarchy and established themselves as emperors and empresses, in order to better display their military ambitions and assert even greater control over their subjects' lives (in Leomes, a monarch was about as powerful as an American President is today, due to constitutional constraints. This change allowed the Leomei to become much more like the absolute rulers we have known in the past). A rapid land-grab ensued between Leomesia and Polerta, with Polerta establishing a strong influence in the west, while Leomesia quickly colonized Muotura and Heraia.

The people of Machia, with their vast mineral and industrial wealth, could have easily opposed Leomesia, but the ruling Loteri family was isolationist (and anti-Polertan) in nature and saw fit to allow Leomes to dominate the regions of Muotura and Heraia, while Polerta controlled Anestria and Ortestria (western and eastern Verusia, respectively; they mean "North Wood/Forest", ANES-TRIA, and "South Wood/Forest", ORTES-TRIA, as per their locations), maintaining limited trade agreements with both powers.

This hostile stand-off between Polerta and Leomesia lasted for more than a century before Leomesia made its move: first, a controlled uprising within Polerta, and second, a military assault on Poroca while said uprising was occurring. This combination of tactics succeeded in allowing Leomesia to pillage Poroca and its neighboring towns and villages; as a result, Polerta's military was scattered and leaderless, and its government was sent into exile in Vallara.

The forces of Leomesia occupied Poroca for almost a decade before the Polertans were able to win it back from the imperial power. During this time, the Leomesians had destroyed much of Old Poroca, including large sections of the Palace of Feresa.

Also during this time, the Leomesians had made a deal with the people of their colony of Muotura. In exchange for greater personal freedoms and economic control over their region, the Muoturans agreed to create Phoenixwood implements of war for the Leomesian military. This massive effort to supply the largest land-based military in Castrios' history led to the near-extinction of the Phoenixwood tree, as well as the almost-total depletion of mineral wealth from Muotura (as it was all needed for the forges).

As this was a technological era akin to the 17th and 18th Centuries of Earth, the practical uses of Phoenixwood were limited. However, with swords laced in Phoenixwood sap and cannonballs wrapped in a sheath of Phoenixwood bark, these improvements were greatly appreciated by the Leomei, who rewarded the Muoturan elite with lavish gifts and banquets.

This notable development allowed the Leomesian military, the Navy in particular, to dominate the ongoing war between themselves and Polerta. In order to try and even the odds, the Polertans decided to specialize in their own way, developing groundbreaking skirmishing tactics and the use of speed over power. This allowed them to negate many Leomesian tactics by simply getting out of the way of their weaponry, whether that was by utilizing sails that worked when sailing against the wind or by utilizing extensive training in hand-to-hand combat evasion. However, all the evasive manuevers in the world can't prevent bad tactical decisions and the static nature of cities and fortresses. Thus, again, the war came to a relative standstill.











The Empire of Leomesia (Leomes, the northern border of Juraja, Muotura, Heraia, and disputed land claims in Polerta) created the largest land-based military force in Castrios’ history, which they attempted to use to subjugate the remainder of the island, to some moderate success. Polerta’s capital, Poroca, was sacked several times over the course of 300 years, though Polerta gained a modicum of revenge when they destroyed Leomes’ main port on the Heraian Sea, Bera (on Leomes’ north coast) in 497 BU.

After this major setback, Leomes sought to regain control of the Heraian Sea (and the Perean Sea as well, as a result) by sending massive amounts of shipbuilding supplies through their eastern port of Kyrio, sailing them through the adjacent strait (then called the Hurean Strait) and over to Heraia, in order to construct an enormous fleet in relative secret, one capable of defeating the well-trained, well-equipped Polertan navy. Despite the destruction of Bera, many of the ships in the Leomesian fleet were still operational, so they were primarily put to work guarding the supply ships from a distance, as well as in diversionary attacks in the Perean Sea. At this point in Castrios' history, Heraia was little more than a backwater island in the middle of nowhere, so the Polertans would not have suspected any serious military effort to take place there.

Their plan worked brilliantly for several years, with Heraia establishing itself, by proxy, as the primary antagonist of the Polertans. The revitalized Leomesian navy captured Vallara and blockaded Poroca numerous times; several provinces of Polerta fell to Leomesia's army, leaving the nation with little more than its capital province under its control. Leomesia's military forces swiftly advanced upon Poroca and besieged it day and night. Many within the city's walls believed the nation of Polerta would be no more within a matter of days. But as with all times of peril, there arose a great hero from amongst the populace: a brave lieutenant named Eric Vicus who took what little ships and soldiers Polerta had left and sailed for the isle of Nega, establishing Valor Watch on the shores of the region that would come to be known as Hynega (in the ancient language of the local Ceretian tribes, “Hy” [pronounced "hee"] means “upper” or “higher”, whereas “Ol” [pronounced "all"] means “lower” or “lesser”. The island’s name, as a whole, is actually Nega). From here, Vicus and his men could strike hard and fast at any supply or military ship that might pass through the adjacent strait. As Heraia was now the main naval base of Leomesia, this greatly disrupted their plans for dealing a deathblow to the Polertans.

This brave action, which saw this small group endure crushing assaults by the Leomesian navy, each of which was just barely repelled thanks to the skill of the Polertan navy and their faster, more agile ships, turned the tide of the war against the Leomesians, crippling their navy and signaling the beginning of the decline of their empire.

The siege of Poroca lifted a short time after the disruption of Leomesia's naval forces, as the continued harassment and destruction of supplies and military forces proved to be too much for the Leomei to ignore. After this resounding defeat, many attempts were made to dislodge Vicus and his men from Valor Watch, but the natural defensive formations of rocks and shallow waters around the coastline negated any advantage the Leomesian navy had in strength and size. Polerta, sensing that the time to strike was nigh, forced the Leomesians back from their lands. They attempted to occupy Leosa, but stiff local resistance and guerilla warfare made the Polertans pull back to the Leomesian edge of the Kretagan Marshland. This allowed the war to settle into something of a hostile detente, with neither side wanting to endure the long, wasteful continuation of war ahead. After some time had passed, the corrupt, power-hungry Empire of Leomesia was finally be toppled by an invasion force from Machia who, after nearly a millennia of isolationism, broke from trend and dealt the deathblow in 256 BU, mostly because of political pressure from a war-beleaguered Polerta, though also because of potential business and military interests associated with the trading and refining of Phoenixwood from Muotura.

A Resurgent Leomes



Machian forces occupied the shattered remnants of Leomes for another hundred years before they were ejected by a resurgent nationalistic fervor, which saw the nation of Leomes once again threaten neighboring Polerta, though this time the Polertans knew that they had to act in order to prevent another war. A peace agreement was hastily written into law and cross-border trade was opened for the first time in 700 years. Polerta gambled on the idea that, if they helped Leomes rebuild, they would be inherently inclined towards peaceful relations with them.

This gamble paid off massively when, in a gesture of goodwill, Leomes allowed cross-border trade of Phoenixwood, which had been restricted from trade with the West on penalty of death for over 1000 years. There was still a lot of ethnic hatred in the fringes of society, as well as a handful of issues that posed a serious threat to the peace (in particular, the Kretagan Uprising of 64 BU, which saw large swathes of the Kretagan Marshland and the western borderlands of Leomes turn into warzones), but overall the peoples of both lands accepted and welcomed their freedom from the shackles of war and empire.

The Birth of Verusia

Verusia came into existence as a merger of Anestria and Ortestria in 48 BU, as a result of waning Polertan influence, as well as veiled threats of annexation made by Regent Adam Tolore of Machia. Polerta and Leomes both sent ambassadors to each of the two antagonist nations to try and prevent war from breaking out, but it was far too late. The War of the Bloody Road began in 47 BU and ended in 35 BU, leaving more than 184,000 dead (the name of the war is derived from the main highway road connecting Verusia and Machia, along which most of the large battles occurred). Polerta, Leomes, and Muotura remained neutral throughout the war, though Heraia sent mercenary troops to assist both sides (Nega and the forces stationed there were Polertan at this point, not their own separate region/military).

After the war had exhausted both sides, Regent David Theros of Machia and Magistrate John Federa of Verusia agreed to a peace treaty grudgingly, with the Verusians holding a grudge against Polerta for what they perceived as abandonment of their ancient ties, as well as a grudge against Leomes for not assisting them against their former occupier. These seeds of distrust and hatred fermented and grew into political forces within Verusia, the most powerful of which, the Anestrian Patriots, seized power in 22 BU and launched pre-emptive strikes against the border towns and military bases of Polerta, sparking the War of the Patriots.

The War of the Patriots

With the backing of Leomes and Muotura, the Polertans struck back hard, nearly leveling Verusia’s capital of New Gedara on the shores of Lake Sedra. Despite their capital being obliterated, the Verusian military retreated to the ancient capital city of Mihyana in the west and continued raids against Polertan targets. The Polertan military, instead of simply devastating Mihyana and the western sections of Anestria, sought to contain the Patriot threat through the same tactics as the ones they had used against a resurgent Leomes, namely the support of reconstruction efforts and open trade. Over time, the Patriot attacks lessened in severity and the people of Verusia became estranged from the inflammatory rhetoric of the Patriots’ leaders.

By 8 BU, the Patriot threat had destroyed itself, going out in a blaze of glory by sending all their remaining forces against the rebuilt Polerta-occupied city of New Gedara. This ragtag band of mercenaries and suicide attackers was swiftly defeated by the Polertan military before they even reached the city’s limits; the Patriots’ leader, Derek Lorea, was killed in the first few seconds. As this final assault marked the end of the war, the Polertan and Leomesian forces returned home, leaving the Verusians to their own devices.

Union

An odd peace lasted for many years on Castrios, which culminated in the establishment of the Union (the founding members were Polerta, Verusia, Leomes, and Muotura) and the construction of Castrum. Its sister city, Vallara, once the major northern port of Polerta, was given to the newly-established capital region to facilitate its growth and to ensure that all regions on the island benefited.

The coming centuries saw unparalleled growth in every region, with Heraia joining the Union in 59 AU (After Union), though Machia did not join until 472 AU, over fears of domination by the eastern bloc of Polerta/Leomes/Muotura (this was alleviated by the reforms of 468 AU, which gave all regions, aside from Hynega and Olnega [then known simply as Nega], an equal amount of seats in the Senate).

Nega was made its own independent region in 270 AU, though Valor Watch is largely controlled by the government in Castrum on the basis of national security. Olnega was established as a separate entity from the northern half of Nega (itself renamed Hynega) in 891 AU, in order to foster business interest and development in the remote region.

The final region to join the Union, Juraja, was not established as its own region until 1302 AU (it had previously been regarded as either unclaimed land or an extension of Leomes’ claims to the northern fringes of the Jurajan jungle); its capital, Sestol, was only recently built in 1350 AU.

The 10,000 Islands

In 1354 AU, the Democratic States of Castrios unanimously chose to join the League of 10,000 Islands in order to better understand and cooperate with their neighboring island nations.

Later that year, the Democratic States of Castrios made their first diplomatic agreement with the nation of Shadowtech Demons: a mutual defense treaty combined with a trade agreement.

[Castrios]

(Taken from my National Maps post, for reference)

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Regions and Local Seas/Etc.



Geography/Topography and National/Regional Capitals

www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/3521680/img/3521680.jpg

(linked off-site because it's pretty big and a small version doesn't do it justice)

Names of the capitals:

Emerita (Machia)
Mihyana (Verusia)
Poroca (Polerta)
Horonos (Heraia)
Leosa (Leomes)
Utraga (Muotura)
Sestol (Juraja)
Valor Watch (Hynega)
Thodren (Olnega)

Machia is the northwest region, known for its vast deposits of mineral wealth.

Verusia is the southwest region, known for its quiet woodlands and many brooks and streams. Lake Sedra sits on its eastern border with Polerta.

Polerta is primarily a grassland region, with the Kretagan Marshland surrounding its capital by its border with Leomes.

Castrum is the capital city/region, which is primarily industrialized. The port city of Vallara serves as its hub for supplying the entire country via the many shipping routes around the island nation.

Heraia is the picturesque island region, noted both for its sandy beaches and its local volcano, Mount Juteka.

Leomes is a region segmented many times over by numerous rivers, with a mix of trees and brushland scattered in-between; its capital is the second-largest city on Castrios.

Muotura is a very mountainous region, similar to Machia, however, its mineral wealth was depleted long ago; its key features are Lake Myra and a unique species of tree called Phoenixwood, which has bright-red foliage year-round and has been utilized for both commercial and military purposes to make things burn much quicker (and hotter) than normal.

Juraja is the jungle region, sparsely-inhabited, but teeming with scientists and explorers eager to make a name for themselves, searching for ancient lost cities and tribes in the dense undergrowth. There was a large amount of interest in the past regarding the wealth to be gained from development of a local forestry industry, but environmentalists prevented this plan from coming to fruition.

Hynega serves primarily as an early-warning base for military operations, with various villages and outposts scattered across its length. Its capital houses the largest naval base in Castrios.

Olnega is similar to Hynega, except that its focus is primarily mining and weapons development. Olnega's capital enjoys semi-autonomy within Castrios, which allows the region to generate vast amounts of trade despite being so remote.

[Castrios]

Tour of Castrios

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Heraia



Mount Juteka



The regional capital of Horonos



Humisos Island (the lone island off the coast)

[Castrios]

Machia



Machia in Autumn



The Machian Mountains



The Palace of Loteri

[Castrios]

Verusia





The Machian edge of Verusia



The regional capital of Mihyana at night



An artist's depiction of Lake Sedra



The former capital of New Gedara

[Castrios]

Polerta







The Polertan side of the Kretagan Marshland



The heart of the Kretagan Marshland



The regional capital of Poroca, with the Palace of Feresa:



Castrum

The port city of Vallara

[Castrios]

Muotura



Muoturan forest



Lake Myra



The mountain peaks of Muotura



The Leomesian edge of Muotura

[Castrios]

Leomes







The Leomesian side of the Kretagan Marshland



The Palace of Leohet



The Palace of Leomei

[Castrios]

Juraja



A hut somewhere in the vast jungle



One of the numerous abandoned temples



The regional capital of Sestol



A view of some underwater plumes near Sestol Ridge

[Castrios]

Nega (Hynega & Olnega)



Valor Watch on a dark and stormy day, several centuries ago (this structure, formerly Valor Watch itself, is now referred to as the Fortress of Vicus)



A missile base on Nega



An industrial center in Olnega



An abandoned mining complex/city in Nega's volatile heart (the center of the island has become increasingly unstable in recent years, leading to violent earthquakes and mild volcanic eruptions in certain areas)

[Castrios]

Castrios Miscellaneous

Various Commanders of Castrios' military in ceremonial garb, brandishing weapons