Second Holy Empire of Lenoria

The Second Holy Empire of Lenoria, also known as the Second Holy Lenorian Empire, is a landlocked Tuberist nation that makes up the majority of the Khanen region of northern Kejafros. The nation has historically been divided by the Lenorian Mountains that bisect it into an eastern and western half. The majority of the population lives around Stainkhard province in the southwest, with the only other population center being the towns of Kroshnor province. The last government reform led the nation into an absolute monarchy, currently led by Emperor Kalf Lihon, with nobles governing the provinces. Unorganized territories lay in the northeast, having little to no control by the Imperial Government.
According to legend, the ethnically Effendis, Vam, Mithusan, and Tarrenian people migrated to modern Lenoria through the Great Portal, while the Al-an, Capanian, Volshon, and Azalbhan people are allegedly native. However, the Al-an, as nomadic people, have left and returned to the area numerous times. The Steinngardians, the most recent group to migrate to Lenoria, arrived from Kezias, though they trace their ancestry to continents to the north. Other than the Steinngardians and Levanik people, most ethnic groups primarily reside in Kroshnor province.
The economy is mostly agrarian, with potato, carrot, and nether wart being the main produce. Transportation is quite primitive, with llamas being the main form of commercial transport, especially through and around the Lenorian mountains. Significant energy production occurs in the southeast, while Krajlnor is a major center for terracotta and dripstone production. Geography significantly affects the type of crops grown; the mountainous areas primarily grow potatoes, while flatter areas favor wheat and carrots. In eastern Lenoria, an unrestricted lumber industry blooms, causing massive deforestation.
Before the arrival of the Effendis people, the territory of Lenoria was dominated by the Azalbhan kingdoms. However, the Al-an people wandered through the more arid territories. The Effendis peoples had established the nations of Lenoria, Canine, and Solanaria in eastern Rathnir, before migrating to modern Lenoria due to the Comet War.
==Geography==
Lenoria is a landlocked nation in northeast Kejafros, with the world border forming its eastern frontier. It borders Valera to the northeast, Berinasia to the north, the Azuma Shogunate to the northwest, Solge to the west, and Ischanor to the south. The landscape is dominated by the Lenorian Mountains, which run from north to south through the center of the nation, forming a major divide through the nation. The historical and current capitals, Hasonor and Akavale respectively, are west of the mountains, while most other population centers were historically on the eastern side, though many of those cities are no longer within Lenorian borders. The mountain range has two major parts, with a narrower, more exploited and developed region to the south, and a wider less exploited region to the north. The north has a slightly lower elevation, and even a plateau around the town of Khanik, but is less exploited due to its distance from population centers. Much of the range is composed of limestone, causing rivers to erode underground routes through the range. This has caused lower elevation mining operations to be impossible
Two ancient major rivers flow through the nation, forming large ravines that mark the boundaries of different regions. The Khaksa River forms the boundary between Lihon in the east and Saezia and Solanum in the west, while the Adhaoanosh River forms the boundary between Akh in the south and Nosh in the north. Due to their geological impact, the elevation of the rivers are well below that of the surrounding land, making them impossible to use for irrigation in most areas. Only on the border between Saezia and Lihon is the Khaksa River not surrounded by ravines, making it useful for agricultural use.
Geologically, Lenoria is on the Azalbhan and Enthonik plates, with the Lenorian Mountains being on the border. Eastern Lenoria largely rests on the unstable limestone Dermian rock. This caused numerous caves to form throughout the region. Western Lenoria is occupied by the older Volshik hard rock, which is more optimal for mining operations.
The Nosh region has the highest average temperature, but the landscape varies due to precipitation differences throughout the region. It is also the most rural region, hosting no major settlements. It is divided in half by the Adhaoanosh river, with only one bridge crossing its ravine. However, the forests from there fail to remain pristine due to widespread deforestation. The region’s rainforest, the Adhaoanosh rainforest,  formerly had high biodiversity, but many of its iconic species were driven to extinction, including pandas, ocelots, and several parrot species. The extinction of the ocelots, the apex predators of the region, resulted in ecological instability that led to mass extinction throughout the forest.
The Akh region, also called Ashodar, contains the only remaining major cities east of the Lenorian mountains, Krajlnor and Vohunstron. It wraps around the southern part of the Adhaoanosh river, with a landscape marked by sporadic deforestation. Deforestation in the north is practically unregulated, while deforestation in the south is controlled by the provincial governments. It has a number of unique fauna, including heart whales, Dermian centipedes, and Adhaoanosh salmon. The land itself is quite mountainous, being in the shadow of the Lenorian Mountains. 
Lihon is home to the former capital, Hasonor. Its climate is the driest in the nation due to the rain shadow caused by the Lenorian Mountains. Because of that, there is little vegetation other than prairie grass. The region is divided into two parts: the highlands and the lowlands. The highlands receive slightly higher rainfall, allowing vegetation growth, but cannot be used for agriculture due to the hilly nature of the area. The lowlands are flatter but drier, which causes the land to remain inarable. The only area suitable for cultivation is on the narrow strip of land on the border with Saezia near the banks of the Khaksa River.
Saezia is known for its mild climate and good soil, which allows it to be optimal for cultivating crops. However, due to its low population, the land is largely forested and undeveloped. The only major urban center in the area is the city of Miraidos, where the majority of the Saezian population lives.
The region of Solanum houses the current capital, Akavale, along with the island city of Aelana. The area was historically undeveloped, but due to the placement of the capital in the region, many developments have occurred, resulting in mass deforestation. The region has a lower elevation than the provinces closer to the Lenorian mountains, and receives adequate rainfall to support agriculture. It was formerly isolated from the rest of the country due to the Khaksa river ravine, but has been the center for new road developments, allowing the region to connect to the major city of Hasonor in Lihon.
== Demography ==
The population of Lenoria is concentrated in the south, primarily the southeast around the cities of Hasonor and Akavale. The city of Krajlnor also has a population of notable size. Many former cities have had significant losses in population due to the Lenorian Succession War, the Ghost Deaths, and the Steinngard Civil War. These include the Ekhroken, which was once a major town north of Hasonor, and Vohunstron, which was once the capital of Ashodar county, which made up much of eastern Lenoria. Population in Lihon and Stainkhard provinces is concentrated in urban centers, while in Kroshnor province, the population is spread out in smaller towns. The unorganized territories tend to be very rural, with few or no settlements.
Due to recent war and unrest, the population of Lenoria is just starting to increase after a period of significant decrease. An estimated 1% of the population were killed annually over the course of three years due to the Ghost Deaths, with those deaths being concentrated in Kroshnor and Saezia, where the percentage reached 4% and 6% respectively during the height of the event. Additionally, the Steinngard Civil War resulted in the death of up to 9% of the population within a year. Those deaths were concentrated around Solanum and Saezia, which lost 12% and 13% of their populations respectively. The Nosh territories also had significant population loss and most of the little infrastructure in the area was destroyed.
Ethnically, the majority of the Lenorian population are Levanika, an ethnically Effendis people from Rathnir, with Saezians, Steinngardians, and Dermians, making up significant minorities. Those minorities are primarily found in Saezia, Stainkhard, and Kroshnor provinces respectively. Saezians, and Dermians make up the majority of their provinces, which are the only provinces where Levanika are not the majority. Steinngardians only make up about a quarter of their province’s population due to their traditionally non-agricultural, nomadic culture, and the migration of ethnically Levanik people to the province, especially around the capital, Akavale.
Large settlements, both historically and currently, tend to be near rivers, with the exception of Ekhroken. This is due to the dry climate of western Lenoria, and the isolated nature of eastern Lenoria. In parts of western Lenoria, the rivers are the primary or sole source of water, necessitating large settlements be built near them. This pattern continues even with the recently built towns of Akavale and Dhesan, which are built on the bank of the Khaksa River. On the other hand, most of eastern Lenoria had a plentiful supply of water solely from precipitation, but used the rivers to navigate from town to town. 
== Economy ==
Agriculture and energy production dominates the nation’s economy. Agriculture is centered on the province of Kroshnor, which holds the majority of the nation’s pumpkin, sugarcane, and nether wart farms, along with the only beetroot farm in the nation. Wheat is produced throughout southern Lenoria, particularly Kroshnor, Lihon, and Stainkhard provinces. Potatoes are grown on the eastern slopes of the Lenorian mountains, primarily in the southern part of the range.
Strangely, the fishing industry is limited to Hasonor, which has massive infrastructure developments to facilitate underground fishing. The limestone caves support large subterranean fish populations, which allows large-scale commercial fishing to be sustainable around Hasonor. Fishing in the rivers throughout the nation was historically a significant industry, but it significantly declined following the developments relating to subterranean fishing in Hasonor.
The majority of manufacturing occurs in the city of Krajlnor, which has several factories. Terracotta, clay, bricks, dripstone, lava, and cobblestone are produced in large quantities. The concentration of manufacturing in a single city has caused extensive pollution within the city, which is made worse by the position of Krajlnor partially surrounded within the bottom of a mountain range, which prevents the polluted air from dispersing. Lava production also occurs in all other major cities. However, lava is only produced for domestic use, primarily to fuel energy generators.
Energy is primarily produced in the urban centers of Hasonor and Akavale. Those cities have constantly expanding underground farms, where cactus is farmed and burned to produce energy that fuels the nation’s armor production. Energy production also occurs in the towns of Ekhroken and Vohunstron, though at a much smaller scale.
The lumber industry is spread throughout the nation, with most legal activity occurring in Kroshnor and Lihon provinces, while illegal deforestation occurs throughout the Akh and Nosh territories. Most of the lumber is recorded to be of coniferous varieties, most notably spruce and pine. However, it is thought that the undocumented illegal lumber harvests of jungle woods alone equate to more than double of the total harvested wood that is legal and documented. Due to the extent of the illegal lumber industry, it is impossible to estimate anything relating to the extent of Lenorian deforestation as a whole.
Transportation within Lenoria is incredibly limited; only the cities of Hasonor and Akavale have extensive road systems. A trans-mountainous underground highway was planned in Kroshnor province, and work on the road began, but the project was abandoned due to social unrest associated with the Ghost Deaths. The project remains unfinished.
== Government ==
The government of Lenoria consists of an Imperial level and a local level. It is structurally an absolute monarchy, with the emperor, currently Emperor Kalf Lihon, having the right to intervene at any level of government. This includes deposing and appointing government officials at any level. However, the emperor has his primary responsibility at the Imperial level of government.
The Imperial level of government consists of the emperor and his appointed advisors, which are a group of about half a dozen individuals. Their collective responsibilities, which the emperor delegates, include diplomacy, archiving, propaganda, immigration management, economy management, and judiciary duties. Currently, the duties of archiving, historical record-keeping, and cultural preservation are delegated to Tresund Vohun, and economy management is delegated to Reximus Lihon. The other duties are shared by multiple advisors and the emperor.
At the local level, the nation is subdivided into unorganized territories and provinces. The provinces line the southern border with Ischanor and the eastern frontier. From east to west, they are Kroshnor, Lihon, Stainkhard, and Saezia. The vast majority of the population lives in the provinces, especially in Lihon and Stainkhard. To the north and west lie the territories. They are much larger swaths of land, but are far less developed. They consist of the Nosh territory in the north and the Akh territory in the east. They are governed directly by the Imperial level of government, though the extent of government control of the territories is limited. This is clearly presented in the Tulipanow Peak situation, in which a group that is antagonistic to the nation set up a guerilla encampment and sowed unrest throughout the northern Lenorian Mountains.
== Culture ==
Despite the numerous ethnicities that inhabit Lenoria, the vast majority of the nation is dominated by the Levanik people. Having inhabited mountainous regions for centuries, their culture melds well with the Lenorian Mountains and the surrounding hills. Other Effendis groups, most notably the Arakarr and Dermik people also developed cultures around mountainous territories. This is most noticeable in their methods for cultivating potatoes and their use of llamas for transporting goods.
Throughout the nation, alcohol plays a significant role in daily life. Vodka is the drink of choice in areas surrounding the Lenorian Mountains, while wine is more popular in Saezia, and Akavale and Hasonor prefer beer. This can be attributed to the different types of crops that are common for cultivation in the area. Potatoes are the easiest and most commonly grown crop in the Lenorian Mountains, while the drier climate of western Lenoria combined with the irrigation techniques employed on the border of Saezia and Lihon allow for wheat to flourish, and the wetter climate of Saezia gave rise to fruit-based fermentation techniques.
Traditionally, the dirt durt duel has held a place of significance in Lenorian culture. The duels had been organized for centuries during festivals, celebrations and militia exercises. However, due to significant unrest in recent times, no officially sanctioned dirt durt duels have been held for nearly two decades.
In terms of religion, most of the nation adheres to Tuberism. The religion plays a large role in Lenorian nationalism, as Lenoria was declared the Tuberist holy land. The significance of the religion is evident in the amount of potatoes grown in the country, which outnumbers the total harvest of all other crops combined. However, with the relocation of the Tuberist pope to Bardonia, the role of Tuberism within the Lenorian national identity has been under question.
Other religions in the nation include the Beetrootist heresy, which is centered in Krajlnor city, and the Cult of the Whale God, which is allegedly active in the caves under the Lenorian Mountains. However, due to the significance of whales within the minority Dermian culture, it is difficult to determine the extent of the cult’s influence, since the primary area of operation overlaps with the range inhabited by the Dermika. Respect for whales is often confused as worshipping them, especially by outside observers. Accurate statistics for the number of people who adhere to either Beetrootism or the Cult of the Whale God is not available due to the status of Tuberism as the state religion and the suppression of all other religions.
== History ==
The Second Holy Empire of Lenoria began as a Lenorian popular revolt within the nation of Steinngard. The revolt was triggered by unrest from the Steinngard Civil War, which in turn was the result of a mass espionage web unofficially supported by Irithelians. The foreign-supported revolt formed the Khanen Free State, headquartered in the Tuberist religious center of Aelana. The rebellion was formally led by the former royal, Capo Lihon. However, the former emperor of the First Holy Empire of Lenoria, Emperor Enthu II, held a large amount of influence within the Khanen government, even taking part in diplomatic negotiations. Attempts to declare Enthu II a continental criminal failed due to his connections with many nations on the continent of Kejafros. Following this, the old nobility of Lenoria, led by the Karnes family, launched its own rebellion. The rebellion was relatively decentralized, having no capital or headquarters. Instead, they were a mobile group, centered solely around the armies rallied by the nobles.
The Lenorian nationalist popular revolt began in the lowlands of Kroshnor barony. Due to the unrest that plagued the region, a local Imperial battalion was stationed nearby, and was almost immediately sent to quell what they thought was a strike. However, the rebels had actually set up an ambush. Due to the superiority of the Imperial battalion in training and equipment, they were able to push back the rebels and drove them into the Kroshnor Clay Factory in Krajlnor city. The rebels refused to surrender, causing the Imperial battalion to lay siege to the factory, though the soldiers were frequently harassed by local civilians. After four days of siege, the baron of Kroshnor, Tresund Vohun, ordered the local militia against the Imperial battalion, driving them away from Krajlnor and into the crown territory through the abandoned trans-mountainous highway tunnel. The following day, Kroshnor seceded, joining the Khanen Free State a few hours later.
Following the events that unfolded in Kroshnor, unrest spread throughout the rest of Ashodar county and Nosh territory. Vohunstron went into lockdown due to the strong presence of the noble rebels and nationalist rebels in the area, effectively putting the fortified town under siege. The gates were shut, and no one was allowed to enter or leave for the next seven months. However, the noble rebels eventually baited out the starving residents of the city, ambushing the defenders and looting the town. In the Nosh territory, the popular revolt was centered around the Temple of Murmur. The area declared its secession to Khanen two months after Kroshnor, but due to a lack of fortifications, the area was ransacked by the Imperial army, and the Northern Massacre took place. That single event is estimated to have resulted in the death of a quarter of Nosh’s pre-war population.
Following the fall of most eastern territories to rebels, the nationalist revolt spread to Hasonor, where rebels from within the city caused it to fall within hours. Despite the quick takeover of the city, it was almost completely destroyed due to a fire, which burned down the mostly-wooden buildings that made up the majority of the city. Following this, the son of deposed Emperor Levan Lihon, Kalf Lihon, led the rebels to Akavale, which they stormed due to poor management of the city’s defensive resources. The hetman of Steinngard was killed in the ensuing battle, and Kalf Lihon was declared the emperor of the Second Holy Lenorian Empire.
Following the establishment of the Second Empire, Kroshnor seceded from Khanen to the reborn Lenorian state. Khanen and the noble rebels entered negotiations with Lenoria; the noble rebels reached a deal within two months, while Khanen took more than four months to reach an agreement. The nobles agreed to immediate integration into Lenoria, while Khanen negotiated a more gradual process, with Aelana and the Temple of Murmur having temporary autonomy. Kroshnor was not included in the agreement between Lenoria and Khanen, as it had integrated into Lenoria before the agreement was settled.
The changes from the agreements greatly expanded the government, with the former leader of the noble rebels, the baron of Kroshnor, and the Karzine of Khanen all securing positions within the Imperial government of Lenoria. The agreements also resulted in changes to local governance, as the former barony of Kroshnor was promoted to a primary subdivision: the province of Kroshnor.
Following the destruction of the Steinngard Civil War, the Lenorian government started work on numerous infrastructure projects, some of which are ongoing. The most notable of these projects is the National Road Network Project, which aims to connect all major towns in Lenoria via roads. Other projects include the numerous Hasonor development projects and the Hasonor Cultural Reinstatement Pledge.
== Diplomacy ==
Lenoria maintains cordial relations with most other powers on the continent. Although it has historically had disagreements and border disputes with Ischanor, those are mostly resolved, and Lenorian representatives have been inclined to side with Ischanor at the Kejafros Diplomacy Organization summits, which has caused tensions to dissipate.
Both the First and Second Empire have worked to gain allies, resulting in a strong alliance network, including Boulderov, Don-Fuer, and Orion. It tends not to maintain long-term alliances with neighboring nations due to a tendency for border disputes to arise, mostly because of Lenoria’s historically rural nature, which led to foreign settlers claiming Lenorian land. Currently, Lenoria manages to maintain a stronger hold on its land, which has lowered the number of disputes with other members of the Kejafros Diplomacy Organization.
Although unofficially, Lenoria maintains very good relations with Bardonia and Sonderia. The former holds a large minority that is related to Levanik people: the Solanarians. In addition, plenty of migration between the two countries has resulted in a large number of people holding dual citizenship. Similarly, Sonderia also has a history of intermigration with Lenoria, the most notable case being the exile of the crown prince Kalf Lihon to Sonderia before he returned to Lenoria and re-established the nation.