Encyclopaedia of Aquila: Sivella

Encyclopaedia of Aquila
Volume IV: Sivellan Republic
WRR, T.C. Bluewalker
Dreiton, Sidon Square Publishing House
Brightstar, 9th dusk, 4852
INL
"Knowledge for Knowledge"
presented by the
South Aquilan Anthropological Society & affiliates
in solidarity and thanks to the
Valencian Historians Union, et al
Sivellan Republic (Sivella)
founded 4810 after descynchronization
"We Remember, We Dream"
Introduction
In the long forgotten era of warring tribes, sorcerers of eld, and living legends, the great Empire of Audax stood proud as the greatest kingdom in all Vulturia. Even the likes of the ferocious Calumbrians, the master occultists of Mendea, and the mysterious Hythmitae fell to its golden armies led by the first god-king of mortals, Aetomemnon, the prophesied grandchild of the Allfather and destined king of the mythic realm of Aquila. With his heroic golden sword which gleamed with the light of all the novae of Emanation, Aetomemnon ushered in an era of unprecedented peace for Vulturia, adored by his vassal chieftains and trusted by his countless peasant subjects who worshiped his divine personage over king and country. In order to ensure that he would rule forever and bring about the dawn of the Aquilan epoch, the god-king made the long trek to Xolumir, where he received a reading from the Oracles of the Beyond: His might was greater than all in Vulturia, apart from the true heir to the Allfather.
Fearing his reign was in jeopardy, Aetomemnon scoured his kingdom in search of any who may be able to challenge him. He searched in vain for seven years until he was sought out by a young champion from the wild kingdom of Mendea by the name of Makrozoia – a noble and charismatic warrior easily recognizable by his distinct white streak through his otherwise jet black hair. This knight, claiming to be the true heir, challenged Aetomemnon to a duel to the death, with the winner being declared the true master of the realm. Makrozoia emerged victorious, prying the golden blade from his slain enemy’s dead hands and thus declaring himself the true king of Vulturia. Thus he declared the Khaganate from the high peaks of Xolumir, beginning the thousand-year reign of the Aquilan Empire.
Though humbled, Audax remained a prosperous kingdom under the new Empire, attracting peasants from across Aquila due to its vast fields of fertile land. Makrozoia favored the clever Audaxians, spending much of his time mingling with their scholars and alchemists, with whom he shared much of his divine knowledge, rather than among his dull royal courts in Xolumir. Over the centuries, Audax grew wealthier, but Makrozoia slipped ever closer to insanity, retreating to the dungeons of his palace in obsession over the far-off shogunate of Khotan. A long string of failed military campaigns to annex Zetia into the Empire enraged the khagan, twisting him into the Mad King of fable. In his rage, the despot failed to see the impending cosmic apocalypse, and his Empire was shattered into pieces in the Great Desynchronization.
In the ensuing millennia, Audax remained wealthy but now existed in a state of isolation, distant from the high walls of Xolumir and lacking a unitary government to manage its vast resources. In desperation, the king of Voss, the largest Audaxian vassal at the time, sent a message by eagle to the Mad King begging him to restore order in the continent. One month later, General Merksamer arrived in Voss along with an army of Nightmare Legionnaires, declaring that he had been sent by Xolumir to remind the Audaxians of their loyalties. Merksamer and his imperial inquisitors traveled from village to village, arbitrarily killing any suspected dissidents in mass pogroms to put the fear of the Empire back into the peasants. After placing an imperial banner in every settlement over two people, Merksamer declared that the Empire would maintain a military presence on the continent until a lasting stability was ensured, seizing the Voss capital of Eustaros as his base of operations.
From Eustaros, Merksamer’s military government embarked upon a massive campaign to politically and economically centralize all of Audax now that its loyalty was assured. From 3500 to 4000, the Merksamerian stratocracy constructed a rail network connecting every major town, ensuring that no two settlements were more than a few days’ travel from one another. The vast tracts of fertile land in the Audaxian interior were finally put to use, with the military government helping improve existing farming towns and offering free plots of land to any who were willing to travel into the interior and found their own settlements. Population and economic output steadily increased as a series of towns centered around the great Lake Merksamer in the continent’s center were constructed, producing enough food to feed all Audax with plenty to spare. There was one last piece of the puzzle to cement Audax as the greatest organ of the Aquilan Empire. Not to be outdone by the Occans who were undergoing a similar agricultural revolution, the stratocracy played one last hand: Construction of a great canal which would connect Lake Merskamer to Valencia in the north and Granchia in the south, effectively giving every part of the continent easy access to the sea and making Audax the center of the mercantile world. In this midst of the construction of this great canal, the massive abandoned quarries to the east were reactivated as a result of the demand for vast quantities of iron with which to further expand the rail network, modernize the cities, and begin construction of a modern navy to rival Occa. Granchia became the industrial heart of Audax – and arguably the world – as they administered the canal project and oversaw the majority of the iron quarries.
By 4300, Audax and Occa were indisputably the wealthiest and most powerful parts of the crumbling Empire, surpassing even the imperial capital in Xolumir. However, Occa had the advantage of being all but autonomous due to the country being self-governed by the Kingdom of Medriaas rather than direct imperial rule, giving it more room to influence global affairs in the new mercantile age – a dangerous prospect, as reports of an uncharted continent to the far southwest spelled predictions of an impending colonial squabble. Praefects from the wealthy Valencia, Granchia, and Tyrell hatched a conspiracy to drive the military government out and institute an autonomous Audax. In 4315, their plot succeeded, with the cities refusing to pay imperial tariffs until the stratocrats went back to Xolumir; lacking the military capabilities to put down revolts anymore, the Legion were forced to leave the continent. With the Empire gone, Audax was split into numerous spheres of influence governed by the most powerful citystates. Construction of the canal was halted indefinitely with no central government to coordinate efforts.
With Tyrell dominating agriculture and Granchia naval construction, Valencia recognized that it would have to calibrate its newly independent economy to retain control over Audax. The Merchant Guild Association, the corporate government, decided it was time to exploit the gold mines of Sivella (the eastern region of Audax) which they had inherited from the military government. The merchants quickly realized that they didn’t actually possess any authority to make this order, as Valencia was in essence a stateless free market zone with no formal laws or legislature, on the verge of anarchy. Though the Association were a powerful conglomerate of industrial guilds, they collectively controlled a measly 25% of the Valencian economy, not nearly enough to declare a legitimate government. The representative of the Jacob & Sons Mining Concern presented an interesting solution: They would forcefully assimilate the remaining corporations by making their operations obsolete with superior technology. The Mining Concern presided over a field of quarries rich with redstone – only a somewhat valuable material at the time as its full capabilities had not been explored yet. Jacob convinced the Association to invest in the Concern on the promise that redstone would allow them to automate all their production, exponentially multiplying their industrial output and driving their rivals out of business. The plan was a success; in 4400, the first redstone drills were put to work in the grand Marrucini open pit mine, followed by automated smelters, dust-powered tool factories, and even primitive redstone batteries for long-term portable energy storage; by 4450, the last corporation was assimilated into the Merchant Guild Association of Valencia.
The new corporatist government acted quickly. With all industries now able to be centrally coordinated, Valencia entered a long period of rapid economic expansion to maintain its hegemony over the rival citystates of Audax. To counter the impressive iron ships of Granchia, the Association ordered the construction of the first merchant steamship navy in Aquila to export its goods to ports as far as Akhtamar in half the time it would take Granchian frigates. While Valencia simply lacked the fertile land to outpace Tyrell’s gargantuan crop yields, it began to worm its way into the farmer collectives around Lake Merksamer, leasing them cheap mechanical harvesters in exchange for humble portions of each yield, giving the ascendant citystate more than enough food to sustain its rapidly growing populace and even begin building emergency underground reserves. With Kilran governed by feudal clans, Kazimir busy dealing with southern revolts, Sivistys plagued by petty political intrigue, and Khotan a non-factor, it became clear that the coming race to colonize the entire Aquilan economy would be between Valencia and the Occan kingdom of Medriaas – and only one of them were in the midst of a full-scale industrial revolution. Valencia secured ports in Ertdor, Kilran, and Sivistys, and even planned expeditions to explore the yet-uncharted Aphelian continent.
Unfortunately, Valencia played their hand too soon. In 4602, they sent their brand new fleet of heavily armed steamboats manned by the best mercenaries emeralds could buy to invade and capture the Medriaan island fortress of Kent to test their power. Taking the fortress was unexpectedly trivial, as the Occans did not anticipate such a brash move so soon, but as quickly as word reached Providence of this surprise attack, the king ordered the full might of the Royal Navy to rain hell upon the upstart Valencians. Kent was retaken and the invaders, or what was left of them, were sent back to Valencia limping. The aftermath of the attack was a complete disaster. With practically their entire navy now at the bottom of the Palama Sea, they lacked the military to protect their lucrative shipping lanes and were too broke to replace it since they immediately reinvested practically every emerald they gained in profit back into their ambitious industrial projects – and thus, they were too broke to pay their disgruntled workers.
Two years later, tensions boiled over and a nationwide general strike was called over unpaid wages and poor working conditions. The unparalleled Valencian factories went dark for the first time in their history, and the breathtaking quarries which reached to bedrock were left unattended, inviting bandits to take whatever precious gems they pleased. The Association lost its ability to govern and thus its legacy, giving rise to a new parallel government in the form of Confederation of Labor. Workers across Valencia had spontaneously taken control of their own factories and resumed production on their own terms, negotiating with other trade syndicates across the citystate’s sphere of influence on terms of mutual aid and production according to need, exporting nothing. For the next six years, 90% of Valencia’s industry was under worker control with the Association leaders refusing to yield up their most lucrative territory and production blueprints, causing an era of stagnation and danger known as the Great Reshuffle.
In 4605, the Association yielded and agreed to enter talks with the leaders of the Confederation, creating a new government in which the trade unions were guaranteed significant legislative representation and input in every action taken by the state. The Association dissolved, with its remaining masters of industry forming the General Parliament, sharing power with the new Valencian Trade Confederation. Power was relatively evenly split for around a century of sluggish economic output due to the regular refusal of the two factions to make concessions to one another in legislation. During this era, Medriaas far outpaced Audax, and their chartering of the Dreiton colony in 4712 marked the symbolic end of Valencia as a colonial power. Outraged by the continued meddling of the Trade Confederation, the aristocrats within Parliament embarked upon a campaign to restore the supremacy of capital in the citystate. Many factories were forcefully automated to eliminate the bargaining power of the workers, and more and more wealthy landowners were illegally encouraging citizens to work in their non-union factories for better wages. The Confederation fought tooth and nail to hold on to any semblance of political power, but by 4800 the once proud trade unions of Valencia were basically powerless as Parliament used its influence to slowly chip away at their ability to affect legislation. In 4802, anarchist elements within the city made one final attempt to place it under worker control, seizing the military barracks and demanding the dissolution of parliament and new elections, forming the short-lived Valencian Commune. By 4803, the anarchists had been defeated and the Commune crushed, largely thanks to counter-insurgent efforts imported from Occa in the form of the brutal Knights Thash.
The restored mercantile government were not able to savor their victory for long, however. With no representation of labor remaining in the corporatist government, worker conditions suffered, culminating in the 4809 Redstone Fuel Refiners strike which was violently put down by hired mercenaries and new iron golem police units. A figure named Clockwork emerged in the Valencian underworld, with a spate of industrial sabotages accompanied by her symbol alongside the sudden coordination of organized crime syndicates ensuing in the months following the strike. Once preying upon the poor on government dole, the infamous Valencian crime families were now escorting factory workers to “negotiations” of better pay with their bosses, and engaging in open warfare with corporate soldiers on the streets. In 4810, Clockwork made her move and hijacked the government’s radio control tower to call for the workers of the citystate to rise up and seize the means of industrial and agricultural production to avenge the slaughter of the 4803 communists. The Valencian Revolution which followed was a short one, with Parliament voting to dissolve itself under threat of execution, thus placing the city under the control of Clockwork and the countless unions loyal to her. The Revolutionary Assembly was formed, giving Valencia an eclectic hybrid government in which the industrial unions collectively form the legislature, accompanied by a “democratically elected dictator” with total executive power.
While Clockwork was slain by assassins in 4813, her three years of rule took Valencia to a new level of technological advancement. Redstone industrial chemistry was pushed to its absolute limits, with state laboratories producing the scientific miracles which dominate Aquilan society to this very day. No longer a mere citystate, Valencia and its rejuvenated sphere of influence finally declared national sovereignty as the Sivellan Republic, taking the name from the greater eastern region of Audax over which it presides. Today, Sivella remains the scientific capital of Aquila, lacking the sheer manpower of Dreiton and Nova Aquila but continuing to hold the technological edge over all its rivals. While its future is uncertain, Sivella has propelled Valencia into a new industrial revolution with no clear signs of stopping.
Geography
Sivella’s relatively small size allows it to consolidate authority quite effectively, with messages from one end of the country reaching the other at practically breakneck speeds. Its territory spans all of the selfsame region which encompasses all of eastern Audax. The recent annexation of the Granchia province has resulted in the republic growing to include several distinct biomes: It is by and large a mediterranean state with a yearlong temperate climate, especially along its considerable coastal regions. Further inland, much of Sivella is low-elevation plains and birch forests, with huge amounts of land devoted to impossibly large farms stretching far as the eye can see. To the north, towards Cruzola, the elevation climbs as a result of increasingly sheer hillside, eventually giving way to the formidable Palermo mountain range riddled with bedrock quarries.
  People and Society
With a population of roughly 7 million as of 4852, Sivella trails behind Dreiton in terms of manpower, placing it in the mid-tier of countries sorted by mortal capita. The Sivellans, particularly those that live in the vibrant metropolitan area, have been described as a deeply passionate and intense people. Their revolutionary spirit and idealism is unmatched by most any other nation bar perhaps Alamut, resulting in a high level of national unity and trust in institutions. As it has produced some of the greatest minds in modern history, Valencia is often likened to a city of bright, if hedonistic intellectuals, marked by crowded streets used as impromptu public meeting areas, ubiquitous debate halls filled with radicals discussing everything from Olexian art to the potential of revolution in Dreiton, and packed theaters wherein amateur actors perform their usually improvised avant-garde works.
The predominantly spoken language is Aquilan standard, with a notable minority of High Kilranian speakers in the countryside due to the long period of military rule from Xolumir. Public displays of any religion, including the Old Ways, is illegal. The state’s stance is that the worship of the gods has caused only misery for Aquila and must be replaced by the reverence of one’s brothers and sisters.
Government
The supreme legislative body of the republic is the Revolutionary Assembly, comprised of elected representatives from every industrial sector to form “one big union.” These trade union leaders discuss matters of policy within the Colossus, the most impressive structure in Valencia – essentially, a massive sculpture of a man reaching to the heavens, filled with offices and meeting chambers up to the head itself. When the Assembly agrees on a piece of legislation, it is sent to the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution, a small body including Clockwork and a handful of industrial and military leaders of particularly high esteem. The CDR are meant to review and revise this legislation, and send it back and forth between the Assembly and themselves until a consensus is reached, upon which the CDR declares the legislation law in the eyes of the people.
While “Clockwork” initially referred to the original architect of the Revolution, it has become the moniker of all leaders of the CDR henceforth. When the first Clockwork was assassinated, a woman who was formerly a member of the CDR and whose name is scrubbed from history, stepped up to the position after being deemed worthy by the Assembly. Clockwork is meant to embody the ideals of the Revolution, possessing no individual identity themselves and driven only by the desire to see all oppressed peoples of the world liberated. They are the supreme leader and face of Sivella, and though they do not technically possess dictatorial powers, their word is law.
Economy
Sivella is one of the foremost industrial producers in Aquila, but due to their refusal to export any of their resources, their influence in the global market is limited. Domestically, this has resulted in a constantly expanding society with a high standard of living and what appears to be a superabundance of grain and metal. Workers in Valencia are expected to strictly adhere to the economic plans set forth by the Assembly, with 100% participation required in order to meet stringent project deadlines and production quotas. Wage labor has more or less been abolished, with citizens accruing labor vouchers according to hours worked in a week to be spent on non-essential services such as entertainment or grooming. Food is provided by the state and given freely so long as one is meeting their labor hours goal – otherwise, vouchers will have to be substituted.
Life is quite different outside Valencia in the Sivellan countryside. The farmers who manage the ludicrously huge multi-crop fields are left to their own devices so long as they meet their grain quota, and Sivellans are free to roam the untouched tracts of land and even settle in one of the rural communes if they so choose.
  Technology
It need not be overstated the extent to which Sivella has changed technology in Aquila. Their early exploits in redstone mechanization have changed the rules of war and the shape of every nation’s economy; the speedrail, scoped crossbows, autodrills, airships, and even the modern steamboat are said to have come from the minds of the Valencians, whose fair city with its glass skyscrapers, aerial trams, radio towers, smoke projectors, and automated golem protectors, gives a glimpse into the Aquila of the future. The Ironworks, Redstone Fuel Refinery Co-ops, and Sivellan Arms Conglomerate are all arguably the best of their respective sectors which can be found in Aquila, and in industries where other countries lead such as chemical synthesis, paper, and clothing, improvements are made every month by the ever-competitive Assembly.
Military and Security
The Republic’s modest army of 10,000 active soldiers is quite meager compared to nations of similar size. With such a humble standing military, Sivellan soldiers are forced to accommodate with what is considered to be the best military technology in Aquila; infantry fitted with iron-leather armor reinforced with diamond microfiber and armed with auto-crossbows, flare cannons, assorted tipped arrows, and iron pikes are the norm; also common are personal redstone-powered elytra, explosive and armor-piercing longbows, diamond-reinforced shields, and diamond sabres.
The Sivellan cavalry are the lynchpin of its armed forces. Khotan-inspired iron war tanks are being produced en masse, and the first mechanized equestrian units are in the process of field testing. Its seafaring navy is small but nimble, favoring quick and heavily armed sloops over massive warships. Sivella is currently the only country with an established “air force” comprised of several hundred airships intended for recon and terror-bombing. The technology is new, but use of airships in the War of the Sunflower proved devastating, and their use could only be improved with sophisticated redstone engines.
The Revolutionary Guard, the courtesy name of the nation’s formal standing army, also serve as the city’s police force alongside an army of iron golems and “observation bots,” with the intent to keep every inch of Valencia surveyed at all times. The Guards make routine trips through the rural communes as well, but their presence is not nearly as ubiquitous as in the city, and the peripheral peoples are already more or less left to their own devices anyhow.
Foreign and domestic issues
Sivella is on hostile terms with its neighbor on the continent, the larger Audax Federation. Though the republic has little interest in expanding into Federation territory, it nonetheless maintains a constant presence at the border with regular military exercises and offensive naval maneuvers to give the impression of imminent invasion at all times, theoretically keeping the Federation sufficiently too intimidated to try anything. Otherwise, Sivella is notoriously isolationist and only occasionally even engages in talks with foreigners. It sat out of the War of the Sunflower and avowedly refuses to align towards either Khotan or the Xolumir-Dreiton axis, though their status as a neutral power may be tested if and when the next war arrives on their doorstep.
Military and trade allies
None
Hostile powers
Audax Federation
Category:Invidere