Yarruk

## Overview

Yarruk, the Empire of the Golden Expanse, is a desert nation located on the western continent. It is a non-hereditary monarchy ruled by an emperor known as the Aq'ad Qa-Qa'e, Great King of Kings (also known as just "Qa"). It is a state of the Yarr tribe, the most prominent tribe of the Ćahaz Steppe.

The name of the nation is a shortened form of Uk Yarre, meaning "Empire of the Yarrs."

## History

The first people to arrive in the Ćahaz Steppe from the north did so in many waves over a short period of time around the year -17,000. These people and all their descendents are known collectively as the Buirqeš people. Between the years -16,500 and -15,000, many began to migrate further south to the coast and would eventually become the Central Ćahaz tribe-states.  Among the most prominent Buirqeš tribes were the Yarr, the Hatfa, the Ȝit'at, the Rušet, the Tah, and the Niubirr.

Around the year -1000 these tribes began to settle into their own rigid tribal states, with more recognizably civilized societies.

### The Yarr-Tah War

The event that established the Yarrs as the dominant tribe of the region was the war between Qa Ȝatitè of Yarr and Qa Farabeh of Tah, in the years -312 to -309.

It began as a typical tribal war, fought over resources, land, and power. But Qa Farabeh had managed to convince the Qas of Niubirr and Rušet to join them with promises of loot and plunder, stacking the odds against the Yarrs. But a swift response by the Yarrs allowed them a smashing victory against the Tahs at the Battle of Weš Huigat in the blazing summer of -312. By the time this battle was won, the armies of Rušet and Niubirr had not yet arrived, and were forced back.

In a typical war, the conflict would have ended there, with Yarr proving its superiority over Tah. But Qa Ȝatitè, in search of more power, broke all traditional values of honor and respect, and continued to rampage through the now-crippled land of Tah.

The Hatfa later pledged their support to Qa Ȝatitè, and with this joint force, they crushed the various revenge-pacts that were thrown against them, and ultimately the entirety of the Ćahaz Steppe fell under Yarr rule, with Hatfa as their vassal. The capital was placed at the grand city of Garmūz, and would never be moved.

The Empire of Yarr, or Yarruk, was officially proclaimed in -308.

### Rule of Qa Hetop II

Qa Rahēn Hetop (birth name Faramūset Nerēq), also known as Qa Hetop II, was Qa of the Yarrs in the early days of the empire. He came to power in -242 and introduced many reforms following the disastrous reign of his predecessor, Qa Ahamuy.

Traditionally, the title of Qa had been hereditary, with the chosen son inheriting the throne. But Ahamuy was an only son, one who had clearly shown himself to be a reckless and incompetent ruler. Ahamuy abused his control over the imperial treasury for his own personal delights, and neglected national issues. His two year reign was ended by an assassination coup led by warchief and statesman Faramūset Nerēq.

The coup was controversial, but was by all means necessary to ensure the survival of the empire. Faramūset Nerēq proclaimed himself Qa, taking on the imperial name Rahēn Hetop, and this claim was supported and protected by the 430 military members of his coup. This group was later known as the Dèrüt Hešnaneh, or the *Guard of the Sun,* and became the Qa's personal bodyguard.

#### Succession Reforms

Hetop's reign was marked by a complete overhauling on the succession system. Instead of hereditary succession, as was traditional, the title of Qa was given the same was as other political offices: by political competition and campaign.

The death of the Qa would mark the beginning of the Year of Succession, a system in which the title of Qa would be available to a pool of competing candidates. They are chosen by election, and the top candidate after voting becomes successor to the throne.

## Fall of the Empire

### The Yarr-Bohr War

The fall of Yarruk is widely considered to have begun with the Yahr-Bohr War of 14 to 19 CE. Both these nations attempted to wage war at a level which was not practical for the technology and organization of the time, and threw them both into near-anarchy as political troubles stirred from within. Qa Ba'al Hemyarr was assassinated by a Bohr spy in 19 CE, effectively halting its war machine, and ensuring the stoppage of all political function within Yarruk.

### Storm Creos

Shortly after the onset of the Yarr-Bohr War, Yarruk experienced the most devastating natural disaster that it had ever faced as Storm Creos ravaged through its lands. One of the hardest hit regions was the Land Between Two Rivers, and the resulting collapse of the lumber industry there led to a wood deficit felt throughout the empire. The drastic period of climate change that followed the storm similarly destroyed agricultural production - first as residual rains flooded fields, and then severe droughts made them barren.

### Foreign Invasions

All this, combined with the invasions of foreign peoples, saw the swift collapse of the Empire within a decade of its greatest expansion period.

First came the Magdenhi Exodus from the south, as millions of Magdenhi peoples fled to the north following Storm Omegon. These invading tribes were spearheaded by the Kaheng, the Murna, and the Danga, three ferocious warrior cultures that instantly proved to be a major threat to the southern border of Yarruk. In 26 CE, the Kaheng and Murna tribes had consolidated into the Kang Empire, providing a greater, more organized system of raids and invasions.

Soon following the Magdenhi Exodus came the Great Tanmar Migration. The Tanmars, a steppe people pushed out of their homelands by the Tacoman Tribes, picked at Yarruk's eastern frontier as they settled down to form the Tanmar Kingdom. Yarruk, with its forces stretched thin, could do little about them.

## Government

Government in Yarruk was monarchial, and the Qa held absolute power. However, power was not completely centralized, and regional kings of conquered peoples (known as the Yūrmud Qa'ü) still hold a degree of power over their people.

### Succession

The death of the Qa marked the commencement of the Year of Succession, in which this time a new Qa was chosen (this was also the only year in which the Qa's wife could hold absolute power). Competing statesmen and/or warchiefs would announce their candidacy publicly in the city of Garmūz, and begin their campaigns. Campaigns could include giving speeches, spreading rumors about competitors, and promoting a sense of nationalism. At the end of the year of succession, the citizens of Garmūz submitted their votes and the top candidate is coronated as Qa.

## Religion

The religion of the Buirqeš people, while generally of same concept, used to have countless variations for each tribe. But after the takeover of the Yarrs, the Yarr version quickly spread and became the *de facto* official religion for the empire.

A full list of the gods, goddesses, and deities in the Yarr religion can be found here.

## Demography

During its period of most stable rule (around 1 CE), Yarruk had a total population of about 11 million. Of this number, 7 million were citizens and 4 million were conquered peoples, slaves, and non-citizens.

### Definition of Citizenship

Immediately following the establishment of Yarruk, the title of citizen was reserved only for members of the Yarr and Hatfa tribes. Other Buirqeš tribes, such as the Tah, Njubirr, Rušet, and Ȝit'at were considered second-class peoples.

However, over decades as the Empire grew to assimilate various other peoples of gradually more alien cultures, the definition of citizenship was extended to include all Buirqeš peoples. Conquered peoples have always been considered non-citizens.