Aphthonis

**Aphthonis**, formerly known as the Great Expanse or the Great Northern Expanse, encompasses the lands north of the Sabaran Sea, and bordering the International Jungle Zone to its south west and Great Thornia to its south. Aphthonis previously only referred to Thornian-held territories and the former Aphthonic Kingdom along the region's south-east coast.

Between December 2019 and April 2022, the entire region of Aphthonis had been claimed by various Umic states either as a constituent territory or even as an independent settler state. The final united Aphthonic state was an authoritarian republic within Thornia-Aphthonis.

From April 2022 onwards, a previously unknown sea (the Sea of Temples) was discovered in what was supposed to be the borderlands between North and South Aphthonis. The Aphthonic government withdrew the Volovna Brigade's mission to protect North Aphthonis, leaving South Aphthonis the sole region under its control. The second Aphthonic state is regarded to have ceased existence on 16 April 2022 and to have been succeeded by South Aphthonis.

## Etymology

*Aphthonis* is a corruption of the word '*afthonis*', meaning 'land of abundance'. Early expeditions to the territory revealed to Thornia that there was vast wealth to the north of the Goruid peninsula that other nations were unwilling to obtain. This includes vast deserts for sand mining, extensive savannas and plains for agriculture and timber operations, and a high density of urban populations for trading.

## History

### Background

What is now known as Aphthonis was largely outside of the purview of the states of the central continent. Its vast deserts and savannahs were not deemed to be important to the nearby nations of Ume and Xandu.

### Huang dynasty territories (Late 2016 - 2018)

In late 2016, Ray (de facto ruler of Xandu under the Huang dynasty) led an expedition northwards beyond the northern mountains of Xandu proper. He discovered the vast jungles that divide the central mountain ranges of the continent from the vast flat lands of Aphthonis.

The first village he came across north of this jungle was given the name Shantouxian and made the regional capital of all Xandunese claims north of the jungles.

This expedition alarmed the Umic Republic and its Thornic colony as it meant that there was a chance that Xandu could flank Ume to its north and east if it ever reached the south-eastern coast of Aphthonis. Ume's then-government laid claim to the entire eastern half of Aphthonis but did not send any expeditions to actually visit the region. This claim eventually faded as Xandu itself gradually abandoned the territory and attention turned to handling Tyavylian independence in the south.

### First Thornian expeditions (2018 - 2019)

The eventual independence of the Thornica colony as the new Thornian nation meant that it was able to detach itself from the Ume-centric world view and explore further north. This saw Thornian militias explore the southern extremeties of the region overland. The villages of Turma and Colisia were the first to be discovered. Thornia laid claim to this southern area first. Successive expeditions along the coast expanded these claims all the way to the eastern land bridge between Aphthonis and the eastern continent.

### Thornian Kingdom of Aphthonis (December 2019 - 13 April 2020)

The region gained independence from the League of Palus (and more specifically from the member state of the Despotate of Thornia) on 29 December 2019 as a principality. Under the independence agreement, the League recognised the independence of the principality (and also that of the Dark Realm of Han) on the condition that it did not produce weaponry on its soil.

On 5 January 2020, the Thornian principality was integrated into the newly established Great Thornia. Thornian holdings were reduced to the southern coast.

Through much of February and March 2020, Great Thornia's land holdings on the continent expanded to include much of the abandoned lands across the Great North. In early March 2020, the six external provinces of Great Thornia were consolidated into a single entity known as the *Kingdom of Aphthonis*.

On 5 April 2020, the monarchy of Great Thornia proper came to an end, meaning the Crown is now officially based in Sabara. Great Thornia proper was absorbed into a puppet regime of the Crown, the Commonwealth of the Shires. On 10 April 2020, the Crown was dissolved and the new Northern Revolutionary Socialist Party took control of Aphthonis and the Commonwealth. On 13 April 2020, Great Thornia re-annexed Aphthonis, thus ending its 4 month existence as an independent state.

### Direct Thornian rule (13 April 2020 - February 2022)

On 18 April 2020, the Aphthonis megaregion was reduced by a the TRD decree and the remaining provinces of East and West Aphthonis were merged into a single province. For the first time since the end of 2019, the Aphthonis megaregion and province were a single entity. A survey of coastal towns also determined that Meros is equivalent to Sabara in size and population. Meros serves as the co-capital of the province, having previously been the capital of East Aphthonis.

On 27 April, Petrodis replaced both Sabara and Meros as the sole official capital of the province after a naval survey of the coast between the newly established settlement of Fylakasanisi and Sabara found that Petrodis was the largest village in the region.

   On 8 May (the day after the end of the Pillager War), Aphthonis gained the territory of the former provinces of Scovia and Aldeby (as the Crown believes that its newfound neutrality eliminates the threat of foreign invasion). It was also promoted to being a 'country' within Great Thornia. The four southern provinces on the Goruid peninsula were grouped into the new country of Goruid.

In mid August in the aftermath of the Great Plague, the districts were elevated to provinces and the countries of Great Thornia were dissolved so that the provinces became the highest-level administrative division of Thornia. The Crown also lost power in the midst of this transition to a new Transitional Council (which made Petrodis its capital, ending nearly 2 years of Aphthonis being ruled from outside its borders). In early September the provinces were reorganised so that there were now three provinces in the south, and two larger provinces in the north. Petrodis also lost its status as the national capital as the government moved back to Elysia to deal with the Second Pillager War (fought mostly in Goruid).

Thornia held loose claims over the Shantouxian Area up to this point. During Thornia's second occupation of Xandu proper, it nominally ceded its claims to the region back to Xandu (the Chen dynasty does not hold a formal claim over the region).

#### Expansion of the Xandu Crisis (September 2020 - 2021)

*See: Xandu Crisis*

On 25 September 2020, Thornia dissolved its legal entity of Aphthonis. At the same time, it began a military invasion and occupation of the Xandunese territories. These territories were organised into the Protectorate of Smarna. With no Xandunese opposition, the region was technically under the rule of a single nation once again.

#### Thornian Civil War (2021 - February 2022)

*See: Thornian Civil War (2021)*

The almost never-ending political instability throughout 2020 and 2021 led to famine throughout even the most well-defended Thornian territories. This led to even more civil unrest as townspeople protested against the new regime's lack of focus on local development and the national food supply. Various towns and villages throughout northern Goruid and in the border lands of Aphthonis effectively became autonomous entities as local leaders took matters into their own hands.

Almost 3 months into the Third Thornian Kingdom's existence, only Elysia, the Palus swamps, Volovna, and Petrodis remained within direct royal control. Native Goruidian tribes had retaken control of almost the entire southern Goruid peninsula and portions of The Neck. Many of these tribes still swore fealty to the monarchy. Warlords who were former generals and commanders from the Thornian Army had taken control of much of Aphthonis and the remainder of northern Goruid, though their control has been contested by resurgent royal forces. Some of these breakaway regions in Aphthonis include the land-locked **Smarna**, **Anipoxis** (formerly Anypsosi), **Kontar** (formerly Kontatora), **Okthi** (formerly Ochthimou), **Chamos**, and **Meros**. Meanwhile in Goruid there was the **Tahrakh Confederacy** (confederation of native Goruidian tribes) in the south, the **Jhutari** further in-land of The Neck, and **Paiewan** along the east coast and in Galinisia. The only Thornian forces left were the Thornian Maritime Legion, who were now effectively acting as the army, navy, and coast guard spread out across the remnants of the Thornian empire.

The warlords of Aphthonis eventually fought a brutal campaign that forced pro-Thornian warlords to join their side or perish. The Thornian Maritime Legion was decimated after several amphibious landings by the Aphthonic legions in northern Goruid. What was left of Thornia's non-Aphthonic military was destroyed at the Battle of the Grimsaurs. The Aphthonic legions did not jump at the chance to secede from Thornia, but instead chose to

## Aphthonis

Banner of Aphthonis

Aphthonis in yellow, north of the Union of Thornia and Ume.

### Founding

* 29 December 2019 (Independence from the Despotate of Thornia)
* 1 January 2020 (integration with Great Thornia)
* 5 March 2020 (founding of the Kingdom of Aphthonis)
* 13 April 2020 (re-absorption into Great Thornia)
* 18 April 2020 (reformation as a united province)
* 8 May 2020 (elevation to country within Great Thornia)
* Mid-August 2020 (individual districts elevated to provinces, end of Aphthonis as a country)
* 27 August 2020 (restoration as a legal entity)
* 25 September 2020 (dissolution as a legal entity)
* January 2022 (autonomy restored)
* February 2022 (restoration of the monarchy begins)
* March 2022 (restoration of the monarchy cancelled; autocratic dictatorship installed)

### Second Aphthonic state (February 2022 - April 2022)

On 19 February 2022, the Galinisian Islands were transferred to Aphthonis. This was done as a compromise between the Thornian and Umic governments as Umians were unwilling to defend territories so far away from the Umic homeland.

In early March 2022, the House of Great Thornia halted the restoration of the monarchy in Aphthonis and ousted hardline Aphthonic nationalists from its government. This move received widespread popular acclaim from citizens, and instead the would-be King proclaimed himself to be President of an autonomous republic instead. It was later uncovered that this was part of a wider political conspiracy coordinated by the Order of the Golden Trident.

In April 2022, the presidential office revoked the de jure autonomy of the provinces and instead granted them to the higher-level regions. Although the central government has always had de facto control over all territories, this reform would help to simplify the administration of the country.

### Discovery of the Sea of Temples and division (April 2022 - Present)

On 16 April 2022, it was discovered that the server's upgrade to version 1.18 caused terrain generation to be altered drastically. A survey mission in central Aphthonis led to the discovery of a new coastline in the area that was meant to be the border between North and South Aphthonis. This left what little was left of the explored regions of North Aphthonis separated by a sea. The Volovna Brigade, which carried out the survey mission, strongly recommended to Aphthonis that it should abandon formal military control north of South Aphthonis, to which it reluctantly accepted. The Aphthonic government also decided to agree to once again recognising historic Xandunese claims over Shantouxian or Smarna.

From 16-24 April 2022, South Aphthonis was the de facto successor of the Aphthonic state before it to finally collapsed. The Aphthonic state was ultimately absorbed into Great Thornia, with Aphthonis' newly wealthy and influential elite now having a say in the running of the country.

## Government

Aphthonis was an autocratic dictatorship, with the President as head of state and government. Most government institutions were centred in the city of Petrodis and were directly commanded by the President.

## Administrative divisions

### After 16 April 2022

On 16 April 2022, it was discovered that new terrain generation meant that was supposed to be much of North Aphthonis was now an ocean. Aphthonis abandoned Smarna (West Aphthonis; it now recognises Xandunese claims over the region once again) and North Aphthonis (but retains a claim over what is now a peninsula). South Aphthonis remains the only region which the government has full control over.

### September 2020 - 15 April 2022

The provinces created in August 2020 were reorganised with prefectures being moved between some provinces and new provinces being created altogether. The custom of naming the provinces after their capital remains. The initial reforms of early September 2020 were modified so that the Provinces of Chamos and Meros were merged with the Province of Petrodis (which now extends across the entire southern half of Aphthonis).

In February 2022 the Galinisian Islands were ceded to Aphthonis from Thornian control. The borough was elevated to the status of a province. In March 2022 the Dobrado area of the Province of Petrodis was elevated to the status of province after Aphthonis received the entirety of the Grimsaurs mountain range.

In April 2022 the Aphthonic presidential office revoked all autonomy privileges for the provinces and reorganised the unofficial regions. The new regions received all the autonomy rights previously granted to the provinces.

### Before September 2020

After the overthrow of the monarchy, Aphthonis and Goruid were reunited as a single country. Apthonis' districts were converted to provinces and their capitals' name became the provincial name. The prefectures have been retained as a secondary administrative division.

 Kontatora Province | Northeast District

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