Aeternaea

The Heavenly Mandate of Aeternaea, and the Embodiment of the Land of Lolede (Official Name: Ξϡϓϊ'ᶅᶋ - Ӷԏ'Øϼ'Ӷԏ'ϑζ) is the oldest nation on Gwalethia; with a verified recorded history stretching back to 26,873 Pre-∈. It is the only nation that has existed since before the end of the Frozen Period, and views itself as the "adult" nation, surrounded by the new "children" nation of the world. Aeternaea aims to keep to itself and not interfere with the growth of these "children"; choosing instead to observe and record - comparing the new generation to the old.

Highly innovative, they have been able to keep up, and surpass, many nations in terms of technology - using their advancements in non-magical technology to rival the greatest magical innovations; which is a great feat, as Aeternaea is perhaps the strictest anti-mage nation known.

Aeternaea, alongside their protectorate; The Bak'Ee'Ne'Vae Holy Order (Official Name: ϑλ'Ϫᶔ'ϗά'λї'Ξϡ) possess the world's largest and potentially most powerful army and navy; following a doctrine of perfect defense, in which they will never be the aggressors to a conflict, but will be the ones to bring an end to said conflict.

## Etymology

While there exists various theories on the origin of the name *Aeternaea*, the name is now accepted as originating from the *Eternal Throne*, from which the ruler of Aeternaea sits. There exists however, many debates on whether or not the Eternal Throne is older than the national term Aeternaea, a debate which the Archdukes have never made any input on, preferring to let their people attempt to figure it out. There are two main sides to this argument, both having an equally valid amount of evidence:

The first being on the side of the Eternal Throne being older than Aeternaea, stating that the throne was initially established by the legendary hero *Aethric III, the Shield of Granedis*, which has historical evidence in texts such as, "*The Chronicles of Legends*", and, "*Mercenary Lords*". There is also a direct quote from Aethric in his own memoirs where he mentioned "Not only I, but all my descendants shall sit eternally upon this throne", which led to many stating that the very throne he was speaking of is the same that is used today.

The second argument being that Aeternaea came before the throne. Advocates of this view state that the quote above could have merely meant that the Ducal family would rule forever, not sit on the same throne, and that it should not have been taken in a literal sense. Another point in their favour is that the first recording of the name Aeternaea, in reference to a nation, was in 26,873 Pre-∈, and the first mention of an Eternal Throne in any modern sense of the name, wasn't until 26,873 Pre-∈. Of course, the ancient language of O'Aetae'ni'Chu had very different pronunciations, and there exists no native speakers of this language left, making it difficult to tell whether or not the records are complete.

To this day this is a heavily debated topic, and it has even started conflicts between citizens who wish to prove that they are most loyal to the throne through finding the truth.

## Government and Politics

### The Eternal Throne

The term *Eternal Throne* has been used throughout a large portion of Aeternaea's history. It refers to multiple things; the ruler of Aeternaea, the faith of Aeternaea, the throne the ruler sits upon, and even the nation itself. The reason for this is that the people of Aeternaea see now difference between the individual on the throne, and the nation as a whole. The explanation for this is that the nation was founded by the family that sits on the Eternal Throne, and through their flawless efforts, they were able to unify the entirety of the population under their leadership.

The exact history behind the divine cult however, is fairly unknown. The only certain fact that we have is that there exists nobody living in the Heartlands that does not obey, love, and worship the Eternal Throne; all of them fully willing to give their lives for it. This worship is what divides the people of Aeternaea into two equal categories: The Heartlanders, whom are those who are born in the Heartland Provinces and fully worship the Throne; and the Mainlanders, whom are born in the Aeternaean Heartlands on the Eastern Continent.

Members of House Gloustrik vi Aetae'ii (Commonly translated to House Gloustern vi Aeternis) are considered to be one and the same as the Eternal Throne. The head of the house being the centre of the divine cult. Having existed for millennia, in an unbroken chain of succession, they are the longest-living dynasty in Gwalethia.

The government is currently headed by Adean II Gloustern vi Aeternis, current holder of the Eternal Throne, and by extension - the Heavenly Mandate of Heaven and Earth. Whilst traditionally the eternal ruler would only be appointed upon the death of their predecessor, this is a rare circumstance as Edeart I Gloustern vi Aeternis still lives and had merely abdicated the throne to his son. As such, he is known as the "Eternal Predecessor".

The eternal throne itself is a part of a larger government which goes by the name of The Eternal Senate. This senate is in charge of everything related to the governance of Aeternaea; on both the Eternal Heartlands and Mainlands.

## Military

### Eternal Naval Forces

Aeternaea is perhaps mostly recognised for their large and powerful navy, perhaps even moreso than their isolationism even. The reason for this is due to the fact that no western nations truly knows how expansive Aeternaea truly is, or even where their capital is located. The only references they know of are, "the Heartlands" and "the Mainlands". Due to this, and the fact that their navy blockades the only sea route to the east; destroying any vessels that try to pass them with impunity, their navy is very well known.

The specifics of their navy is still relatively a mystery, but it is known that their ships range anywhere between 10 Metres, up to nearly 160 Metres. They are not aggressive, unless they are provoked, and they also serve as merchant protectors of the naval trade route that passes from the East to the West via the Lokhaven Sea Route.

### Eternal Land Forces

Perhaps not as recognised as their navy, and definitely less-so than their counterparts, the Bak'Ee'Ne'Vae Holy Order, the Eternal Land Forces are a relatively powerful military. Unlike the Holy Order which serves to protect their immediate borders to the west, safeguard the first layer of the only land route east, and enter into diplomatic relations with the western nations, the Land Forces exist solely to protecting the Aeternaean borders from a threat unknown to the west.

## Geography and Climate

### The Aeternaean Heartlands

The true homeland of Aeternaea; the Heartlands exist as a myth to the western nations, as they've never learned any conclusive information about the Heartlands, aside from rumours or knowledge passed to them from diplomats or merchants.

What is known to the west is that the Heartlands serve as the holy lands of Aeternaea; it is where the nation was founded, where its religion was founded, and where its most powerful reside. It is expected that any and all truly loyal and devout Aeternaeans make a pilgrimage to the Holy City at least once in their lifetimes, with many doing several trips there.

### The Aeternaean Mainlands

Unlike the elusive and mysterious Heartlands, the Mainlands are open to much less conjecture. It is known that the Mainlands definitely exist, as Bak'Ee'Ne'Vae serves as the first layer of protection in the Mainlands. Beyond the borders of Bak'Ee'Ne'Vae, you'll find a tiny piece of the Heartlands on the most recent maps; this is where the Merchant Enclave of Lolede is located; the crossroads of East and West exists there, and no non-devout have ever crossed beyond this boundary.

## Foreign Relations and Politics

### Divinely Sanctioned Mercenaries

#### Current International Relations

International relations for Aeternaea is an interesting topic.For all intents and purposes, Aeternaea refuses to interact with the outside world; using their vassal-state, Bak'Ee'Ne'Vae to deal with them instead. The reason for this is due to the fact that Aeternaea has existed for far longer than any other nation can comprehend. As such, they view it as their duty to merely observe the world changing around them, only interfering when absolutely necessary.

Due to this, they can typically be found to only be open to discussion with one to three countries at a time. Below is a breakdown of each known nation, and their relative information in relation to Aeternaea:

In the table above, it is important to note the following information in regards to standings and relations:

* Positive (50 to 100)
* Neutral (-49 to 49)
* Negative (-50 to -100)

With this information, one can identify exactly where each nation stands in regards to Aeternaea. Additionally, the civilisation and sentience statuses are incredibly important for any nation seeking to attempt to contact Aeternaea, as they will never open communication with nations they don't deem to be at least "evolving", or "semi-sentient."

## Economy

In terms of the economy, Aeternaea has a very closed economy; they only ever permit trade through their client-state, the Bak'Ee'Ne'Vae Holy Order, and even then in a limited amount. As such, they are not directly tied in with any foreign nation's economic strength and weaknesses. However, they have been known to trade with the Free Cities of Lokhaven from time to time.

In terms of economic strength, they are one of the most powerful economies in the known world, and use this to continually build and improve their nation. Additionally, if one would include the economies of both Aeternaea and Bak'Ee'Ne'Vae together, they are considered the richest "Union".

## Science and Technology

Little is known about Aeternaean technology and sciences, except for the fact that they are adamantly anti-magic, choosing instead to invest fully in non-magical advancements. As such, they can be seen as one of the most technologically advanced nations in Gwalethia; choosing to keep this knowledge to themselves. As a result however, they seem to have a difficulty in using foreign technology, as they typically would choose instead to build a local alternative, if possible.

With this all in mind, it is difficult to fully describe how they focus on technological advancements, as they forbid any outsiders from stepping within their borders; threatening death to any who attempt to. The reasoning behind this is simply because they wish to remain isolated, and only granting entry to those who are truly loyal and devout to the Eternal Throne, and the Faith of Heaven and Earth.

## Demographics

The exact breakdown of Aeternaean demographics is difficult to understand fully. But what is known is that the majority of Aeternaeans can be found living in the Heartlands, with a large degree of population density. The reason for this is simply due to the fact that the Heartlands are both the centre of their faith, but also the centre of the Eastern Exploration. In contrast, the Mainlands are generally inhabited by those who would be more likely to travel westwards.

## Education

Aeternaean education varies greatly based upon provinces. Some focus more on the theocratic aspects of knowledge, where others are more scientifically inclined. With these differences in mind, the Eternal Capital also holds the world's greatest collection of knowledge and wisdom; gathered over the course of Aeternaea's existence. As such, many scholars from across Aeternaea gather there in order to study and provide their own inputs into Aeternaea's advancements.

## Ethnicity

Within Aeternaea you can find a great degree of different types of people; although all being human. Whilst there is no major distinction between them, by Aeternaean standards; all races, genders, and peoples are viewed as equals being guided by the throne, one can find them being categorised as either Heartlanders or Mainlanders.

The key difference between a Heartlander and a Mainlander is the location of their birth. If they were born on the Eastern Continental Mainland, they're referred to as a "Mainlander". In contrast, if they were born on the Far Eastern Territories, where Aeternaea originated, they are referred to as a "Heartlander".

Between the two categories, there are no differences in rights or freedoms, and they are all welcome to travel between the two territories whenever they wish.

## Religion

The religion in Aeternaea is simple in contrast to many other nations. Aeternaea is simply a one-religion state. The entire population being devout worshippers of the Eternal Faith of Heaven and Earth; with a living embodiment being the Eternal Throne itself.

Whilst Aeternaea believes in the rights and freedoms for people to follow what they so choose, they also have laws that forbid anyone who is not a follower of their faith from residing within the nation. As such, there has been little to no conversion away from it, with a single event having happened within the majority of its existence; that of the Forbidden Exodus.

It is interesting to note that although all Aeternaeans follow the same faith, each province has minute differences in their views; based primarily on their heritage and histories.

## Languages

Aeternaea is a land of varying languages, most of which sharing a common ancestry. The majority of people speak High Aeternaean throughout the common day, using Holy Aeternaean for religious, scientific, or diplomatic reasons. In addition to these two languages, there's also Low Aeternaean which is used to discuss matters of trade and with the few foreigners who can speak it, and the common tongue in order to discuss things with foreigners who cannot speak any of the local langauges.

## Culture

Aeternaean culture is drastically diverse depending on the region; the mainlands have a different culture in each province, whereas the Heartlands all share the same "High Aeternaean" culture.

## Symbols

Aeternaea possesses many symbols, with each province and organisation having a unique coat of arms or flag. With that in mind, Aeternaea itself is symbolised with either a white raven, a throne, or the holy symbol of the Eternal Faith.

## Literature

Aeternaea is known for its vast collection of knowledge; sourced from wherever their great fleets can reach. As such, literature in Aeternaea is very important - ranging from classical plays, to modern debates. It is crucial for any true born Aeternaean to be well-versed in the various fields of wisdom. The only exception to this rule is to practice magic; a grave sin in Aeternaean eyes.

## Visual Arts

Aeternaean arts range from traditional portraits, to attempts to portray the will of the heavens in the form of sculptures. As such, each artist is viewed entirely as a unique creator of their own form of art.

## Sports

Aeternaea practices several sports; a form of sport where you kick the ball... which western nations may refer to as "Football", mountain climbing, racing, and most importantly; sailing.