The Center Cannot Hold: Ainesia, Revolutionary Empire

The People's Republics of Greater Ainesia
"Liberty, Equality, Solidarity."
Alignment CN
Capital Lutetia
Ruler Empress Elect Hana Krasnysang
Government Representative Totalitarian Socialist Republic
Demonym Ainesian
Adjective Ainesian
Languages Borish, Jarnish, Ferrit, Salish, Rosic, Tomish
Religions Revolution, The Machine, The Singer of the Song, The Wolf-Mother, The Twins

Ainesia is a new empire, molten hot from the fresh forges of revolution: many different feudal states welded together through revolution.  A new experiment, its neighboring powers look at it with trepidation- the Revolution assassinated countless leaders in its conquest of Ainesia, its reforms never favoring nobility, priests or the wealthy.  Ainesia looks at its borders and often others wonder if it plans to spread further or if it'll be content with what it has 'liberated' so far.

History

When Ith and Othebea's part of the Revolution Wars ended, the skirmishes in Ainesia continued to smoulder.  The Salira colonies that Othebea had given independence became a target of the various other kingdoms in Ainesia, each full of princes and kings eager to go to war to regain some of their faltering wealth.
This region had been feuding over scarce resources and political infighting for centuries long before.  Almost every kingdom, principality or grand duchy were ruled by the same royal family, whose blood had become spread through all the ruling houses of Ainesia's various states.  None of whom could agree to work together.  They fought and squabble over every inch of land.  And they used their people hard.  Very hard.

The Revolution Wars ignited a spark to a barrel of gunpowder.  Over the century prior, common folk were taught to read and to think, by the widely encouraged Church of the Machine.  Commoners came to see their own children take up classes they'd never thought possible, often because the education the Gear-Priests offered as part of the gunpowder and other wonders leaders bought from them.  In Salira, a land tied to many gods and faiths, a new source of faith had been found: The Revolution itself.

This lit Salira ablaze, and soon its few kings and government were burnt alive.  The Revolution didn't stop there, however.  Within days of overthrowing the newly independent state of Salira, its borders exploded with riotous mobs.  They swept into neighboring nations, sparking more and more of the Revolution's Fervor as they went.  Within days, the Revolution had taken hold.  The Revolution Wars weren't over.  No, Ainesia itself now was the central theatre.

The Revolution and those who followed it won the Revolution Wars thirty years ago, after two decades of bitter fighting.  The most brutal and harsh parts of Ainesia were annexed and added to the new, revolutionary government.  The tyrants were out of power, and now the people began to implement reforms.

But that peace didn't last for long.  Within a year, mobs began to execute their former rulers, publicly.  Clerics of the Revolution led progoms against members of the new government.  This began a dark cycle of terror that drove Ainesia to torture and execute more and more.  Hana Krasynsang, daughter of a minor knight in Salira as well as a lieutenant in the Revolutionary Militia, mounted a coup, slaying a sect of Clerics of the Revolution and imposing control over the situation.  Krasynsang took the title of Empress, and kept the reforms of the past.  The Revolution became restrained.

Today, Krasynsang remains in power.  There is fear among the other powers of whether or Ainesia wants to spread its Revolution further.  Ainesia remains peaceful, having secured trade relations with Ith and Maliph.  Othebea remains cold.  Ainesia is still looking inward, trying to repair and renovate their infrastructure, while its agents infiltrate and prepare for the next phase.

Government

Perhaps hypocritical, the revolution installed a odd government in the aftermath of the Revolution Wars.  As governments kept breaking down into disarray and assassination, Ainesia recognized that it need a iron-hard force in its government, something to keep its own Revolution from driving it into civil war.  It has an elected monarchy, whose power is greatly restricted yet centralized and absolute enough to contain the ravages of the Revolution.

It was also a political gesture, restoring a semblance of old tradition while keeping all the reforms of the Revolution.  Of course, no committee of the party dreamt that up- it was all the work of Hana Krasnysang. Krasnysang took control of Ainesia's central governing party, using her talents as a minor noble allied with the revolution in her coup.  She established the position of Empress, and she ended the Revolution Wars.

Central to Ainesia's government are its councils, each representing their own interests.  Although Krasnysang has forced the councils to accept more than one governing parties, most Councils remain whole or partly Republican, the former single party in control.  These Councils send representatives to regional Soviets.  All of these elect those who represent each region in the supreme soviet, which acts as a semi-legislative body.  The Empress still must approve all laws, as well as enforce them.

The Supreme Soviet also selects all the members of the various bodies that run and operate Ainesia's government, including its direction over economic and political interests.  But because the Supreme Soviet only convenes once a year, most selection and management of these bodies falls under the purview of Empress.  Krasnysang rarely abuses her dictatoral level of powers, however.  She is clever to use lower functionaries as scapegoats, satsifying the urges of the Revolution while keeping Ainesia united together.
 

Geography

Ainesia is dominated by dozens of mountain ranges, broken up by river valleys and cold plains.  Its northern reaches are dominated by pine forests.  These mountains and rivers created the borders for most of Ainesia's nations, limiting their wars to their region and making conflicts harder to spread.  Southern Ainesia is dominated by salt marshes.  In the eastern steppes, weather keeps dry enough that parts of that region are as dry as deserts in Maliph or Soram.

Inhabitants

Ainesia is huge, and its people are just as diverse as its big.  Most of each of the northern-most human tribes can be found there, the Jarn, the Salaro, the Tomasi, and the Jotnar.  A few of the fallen kingdoms and nations that form Ainesia were once Ursyklon ruled too.  Tieflings and Dhampir are common throughout Ainesia, the latter often because of much older Vampire clans that have ruled cities in Ainesia for centuries.  Of course, most of those clans are long gone- no one has seen that much of any of them, except for the Walridr who long ago fled into Crux.

Religion

The newest faith isn't centered around a deity, instead it is the Revolution.  A fervent faith born during Ainesis's part of the Revolution Wars, the Revolution continues to trigger riots and reforms in Ainesia.  Revolutionary faithful look for any sign of corruption or tyranny, often for an excuse to reignite older intrigues left over from the Revolution Wars.

Ainesia's Nations

Ainesia is still the name for the region the People's Republics occupies- its many people come from a variety of nations and states that spend centuries feuding, merging and dividing before Ainesia came along.  Here are the largest of those nations, and their lasting influence on Ainesia:

Blakaxe

Alignment: NE
Soviet Capital: Neverstorm Castle
The Principality of Blakaxe is dominated by cold, fey-haunted woods in the northern reaches of Ainesia.  A cold, silent people, they had spent generations as little more than slaves, as serfdom in their land was cruel.  Blakaxi Witches joined the revolution first, many of whom were also daughters of the seeming immortal vampire Blakaxe himself.  It took the Revolution most of the Revolution Wars to slay Blackaxe.

Mostly Jarns, the cold folk of Blakaxe are practical and self sufficient.  They dislike the notion of government from Lutetia at all.  If anything, they believe that the Revolution has left them in a worst off position.  It seems that Blakaxe had been preventing ancient Fey lords and ladies from emerging during his tenure.  How he did so remains a mystery.  But nowadays, Blakaxi fear the night, when hunting horns can be heard as Fey look for fresh prey.

Salira

Alignment: CN
Soviet Capital: Krasnygrad
Birthplace of the Revolution and its faith, Salira's history stretches back much further than that.  The old gods of Mount Salir dominated the religious backbone of the region until more recent faiths over took it.  Salir has had a hand in the beginnings of many philosophies and faiths, as well as some scientific and magical ideas.  The Tomasian Empire used much of these as part of its rule over the region.  Ancient Salir's ruins decorate Salira's landscape.

Salira is almost religiously loyal to the party and to the Empress.  Their renaming of their capital to Krasnygrad is one sign of their blind loyalty to her.  Most Saliri also create the impression of other Ainesians to outsiders, which colors their view of Ainesia.  Outsiders come to think of it like Salira, full of diehard loyalists.  Saliri believe that the Revolution must spread, taking it upon themselves to engage in acts of terrorism throughout Ith and Othebea.

Stormwood

Alignment: LG
Soviet Capital: Krovhill
The Kingdom of Stormwood was a long time ally of Othebea.  One of the most eastern parts of Ainesia, it sat on the otherside of the mountains that divided Othebea and Ainesia.  Stormwood followed Othebea's stead, with its own sort of knights.  It also was ruled by ursyklons who'd converted to the Twins.  With very few humans as citizens, Stormwood was known for its very proud, very brave halfling champions.  Stormwood didn't last long, however, against the might that rose against it.  Othebea let Stormwood fall, although it remembers its neighbor.

Stormwood doesn't care for Ainesia and wants independence.  It dislikes the rule of the Empress.  Its memories of the Revolution Wars are dark and horrible.  It has deep scars, deep enough that there are a growing contingent of ursyklon that have converted to the Revolution to help make it happen.

Krasnifrost

Alignment: LE
Soviet Capital: Icegorod
Krasnifrost enjoys its peace.  The ice giants that once dominated it and served the will of the Ice Czar have been enslaved by the Revolution.  In centuries prior, Ice Giant enforcers would manage the serfs for the Ice Czar like they were cattle.  They were the most uneducated, the most mistreated people.  The Revolution took them, and they went berserk during their part of the war.  The Ice Giants now are slaves of the state, with the Soviet in Icegorod letting the people use them as tractors and beasts of burden.

Krasnifrost prefers the new order, albeit not as diehard as the Saliri do.  They work quietly, embracing their new education, studying at academies not unlike the University in Crux.  Krasnifrost works to create new machines for Ainesia, made from Ice Giant labor.  Some of which are intended for a new kind of war.

Volkstorm

Alignment: N
Soviet Capital: Lutetia
Volkstorm surrendered peacefully during the Revolution Wars.  Its grand city of Lutetia embraced the revolution, deciding to help rather than face any sort of destruction.  Despite that, it still faced some harm, but the Empress has since acted to help them find some form of restitutioon.  Volkstorm had once been famous for its neutrality, often acting as a mediator between warring countries for centuries prior.  It still strives for some form of neutrality, although being part of Ainesia has put a damper on that.

It does not favor spreading the Revolution any further.  If anything, Volkstorm believes that Ainesia has the potential to build great things should it focus as hard as it did in the Revolution Wars.  It wants to inspire new great works, things that'll draw attention to Ainesia and make them eager to repeat the greatness they'd begun.