Orbitalia

Orbitalia, officially the Kingdom of Orbitalia, was a constitutional monarchy that was founded and ruled by King Jack Skivar (regnal name King Jack I). It was located on the continent of Halinn. Orbitalia had a state religion called Cosmoism. The true origins of Orbitalia are lost to time, in a place that is terra incognitum. According to Orbitalian legend, however, an ancient tribal republic known as Tala and a hereditary tribe obsessed with the stars known as Orbi unified against an unknown gargantuan threat, thus becoming the nation known as Orbitalia. It is speculated that the one who resurged this nation onto Abexilas, Jack I, comes from those lands long after their existence as a political body.
The Kingdom of Orbitalia was an independent minor power. The capital and the only claim ever under the title was the town of Distaria.
== Etymology ==
Though usually attributed to the mind of Jack I, the presumed founder of this nation, the Kingdom of Orbitalia was actually named such due to his connections with two distant tribes far, far away from any known continents. These two tribes were called "Orbi" and "Tala", which apparently unified into "Orbitalia". The suffix "-ia" was added to state the meaning that Orbitalia is the "land of the Orbitals", an apparent proto-culture of Orbitalia. There is little known about these ancient lands, but there exists many documents about them, though it is very possible Jack I could have forged them all. Regardless, whether Jack I intended to place his own nation as the successor to an ancient one or if it is a homage to his homeland is uncertain.
== Culture ==
The day-to-day lives of purebred Orbitalians were focused highly on communion with what lies beyond the world's sky and adherence to their religion of Cosmoism. Among these practices, they were naturally situated to ordinary human activities like recreation, agriculture, and various other departments of work as would any other human being, though the foremost celestial practice seemed most important to them.
Despite reassurance from Jack I that the Orbitalians were indeed human, a select few Orbitalian denizens show features that are inexplicable, such as infinite youth and intriguing defects such as glowing purple skin. Forced research on these beings is as illegal as operation on any being within Orbitalia and no Orbitalians have yet been captured beyond their borders, so nobody can tell for certain. As Orbitalia has faded to time, no Orbitalians were caught outside of the border. All of their fates are unknown.
== Geography ==
As the divine in Orbitalian culture lies beyond the atmosphere and Orbitalians find it easier to commune with the deities that be the further altitude they have reached, Orbitalians have generally preferred living in highlands such as hilly landscapes or mountains. However, due to the high living space and conditions easily suiting humans, Orbitalians will most likely choose the aforementioned highlands over any place that would sacrifice wellbeing. They have shown a long history of physical adaptation, however, so if absolutely forced to, like any human, Orbitalians would have the capacity to survive and adapt in mountainous conditions.
There has been some documentations about Orbitalians living in the sky, though this is heavily debated in scholarly circles and is most likely false.
== History ==
=== Prelude ===
No matter how far he went, tumultuous times followed closely to Jack's nation of Orbitalia. The newcomers to this great land of Abexilas refused to join his cause as they did during the beginning, and his brother Lio was long gone, making him the only Orbitalian of his time. He saw failure in each one of his earlier projects, unable to break the thick ice of legends. Jack could only stare at his reflection of what could have been... but not once did he believe it always could not be.
=== Calm before the storm ===
After the Radian Crisis taking place in Orbitalia's predecessor state of Orbitalia-Coolantis, Orbitalia was relocated to a northwestern point sanctioned by Wurmdir in a rush to claim lands that had become available to them for a very brief window. In this time, geopolitics were tense as other nations accused Wurmdir of trying to encroach upon land that was rightfully another nation's, but nonetheless Jack began to build up Orbitalia's soon-to-be capital and tried to keep an open mind toward the future. Little happened for the first few days, but Jack built up Distaria with just his own two hands as best as one man could. Still none joined his cause, and Orbitalia remained a one-man nation. Jack, feeling relaxed, decided to take a potshot at growing slowly and miserably, something that would never be effective, but nonetheless something he wanted to try only in order lower the burden on himself. The very brief maintenance period Orbitalia witnessed was one where the 'great' leader would enter the city only one day per week to 'maintain' it. In reality this was Jack's laziness being put on full display. It was soon rectified once Wurmdir's government threw Orbitalia to the wolves.
=== Distaria Transfer Crisis ===
Scaliga, ever the opportunistic they were, one day pointed their swords downward to Orbitalia. Their diplomat spoke of a claim unbeknownst to Jack, and Wurmdir's ears heard and reciprocated. The next thing Jack knew, his nation was under threat of war. Once again, such a brief exchange. Wurmdir's communication to Jack was weak and ill-worded, but somewhat good-willed. He offered a compromise to the Scaligans that Orbitalia enter their fold and the crisis be done with. Misunderstandings were painful in this crisis; demands went back and forth, and at one point Jack really thought that the Scaligans would pull the trigger. Yet, they compromised. Jack's nation entered Scaliga, but no Scaligan officials lined the streets. Jack faced the same vassalization pact he did with Wurmdir's nation, but with Scaliga instead.
Jack never liked the Scaligans. They were rough, barbaric, and way too in over their own heads. Their expansionist ways soon led to their downfall, as their wars with Soliana would overextend them and lead them to ripe counterattack, despite their backing by many strong Halinn nations. Once Scaliga was left a husk of its former self to lick its own wounds, Jack declared independence. The Scaligans never entered Orbitalia, so they never had to leave. It was one of the most peaceful declarations of independence in Stoneworks history; so peaceful, in fact, that it barely even graced the history books. Such trivial events were unnecessary to speak of in any greater part of Abexilas. But Jack pushed on, with some sort of renewed determination. Still, he was, in this moment and the near future, a one-man nation.
=== An anticlimactic fall ===
Jack then began to work toward getting his nation out of obscurity. He aimed to evangelize the culture of Orbitalia and spread Cosmoism across the other moral people of Halinn, and his nation even began to grow. He tried recruiting almost every day, and he actually seemed to have some potential.
But one day, something changed. Jack had apparently spoken to Cosmo and was told the heartbreaking truth that he had abandoned the will of Cosmo and should leave behind all of his worldly possessions. Somehow, there had been another being, perhaps not even of this universe, who had done the goal he was working so hard for with minimal effort. This somehow shattered all of his once-boundless hope. A few nations tried to reach out to him, either to wish him well or take advantage of his weakness, as he stayed in solitude for many days in the Cosmoist religion center. When a new citizen of his checked the Distaria Cobservatory, he was nowhere to be found.
And with that, Jack was gone, leaving no heir. A letter from him was found in the room, stating "Cosmo has left us. Orbitalia shall have no successors. My citizens, a million words could not speak of your kind indulgence in me. I must ask you to leave all of this behind; I don't think it will hurt you much, anyway. Regards, Jack Skivar". The citizens evacuated at once to unknown fates, and Distaria then withered away, to nothing.