Zvesta

The **Kingdom of Zvesta** (Old Zvestarid: **Zjostārolaz Makhantaral**, "Sublime Zvestarid Realm"; Rukanian: **Velykokrai Zvesta**) was the initial state for Bujan in the modern era.

## Flag

The Zvestarid flag is green, with six white stripes around an eight-pointed star. The star represents Zvesta's location between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres, or between the Slavic lands in the west and Vozolaz in the east.

It also represents it being a mixture of two classical cultures, Slavic and Vozonid. The green may also represent Wonao classical culture as a third influence.

## History

This kingdom was founded by the Prejaznians, a group of people from the distant land of Pogimmel, as they aided the Drevobojanse and native Wonaos to expel the Vozonid tyrants who conquered their island home. Together with the Wonaos, they established their monarchy as an attempt to return to the old kingdom founded by Koschei the Red. Shortly after the founding of Zvesta from the defeat of the Vozonid rulers, some Slavs migrated south to the Wonao nations of Makkadal and Joltaraata, where they became the two communities of Ljetoslouna Slavs moulded by the Wonao classics of both nations.

Zvesta was influenced by Rukania far in the west, as it attempted to replicate its digital campaign fuelled by hydroelectric dams. This resulted in the Zvestarid Standardisation, or simply the Standardisation, a great modernisation programme that made it more advanced. It covers a vast range of areas in daily life, from technology to measurements, and replacing many Sarmelonid loanwords in Bujanski with terms made from archaic Slavic languages. The rapid progress in technology, society, and ethics also influenced other nations across Jerde to adopt the Standardisation everywhere.

This initial prosperity was cut short when some extremists attempted to merge Zvesta into a Terran regime in Darros, claiming that under Darroskei rule, Zvesta would become a spacefaring power. When the Zvestarids refused, the extremists became into the "Zavtranians", using flags with a snake-like Z to wage war against the monarchy. Yet even with the Rusinoi fleets from Darros, the Zavtranians were defeated, and their remnants fled northwards to the artificial islands of Kovastoi where they were isolated for the centuries to come.

With the Terrans defeated, the Zvestarids attempted to remove any traces of Terran militarism from their island home, seeking to put an end to the occasional invasions from other dystopian worlds. To celebrate their victory and mock their foes' defeat, Zvestarids across the island raised Rukanian flags on the morning of November 11. As the gold-blue banners of their distant ally rose into the sky, the Zvestarids belted out the Royal Anthem of Rukania in their own language; by aligning themselves with the enemies of Darros, the Zvestarids once again declared their rejection of Darroskei domination.

Then, nearly a millennium of prosperity followed, fondly remembered by the whole world by the Zvestarid term used: "The Spinel Age". The Zvestarids helped various nations in Palkyras defend themselves against the devastating Tornarin Bombardment, even as it ruined the continent, winning more allies and members for the Jerde Alliance's defence of the solar system.

On 300 AT, twenty-four clock towers were built all over Zvesta to celebrate the unity of the kingdom. The last and twenty-fourth of them was built in Koscheigrad, the capital city.

At some point in the year 523 AT, dissatisfaction with one of Zvesta's kings led to hundreds of citizens in Nojenso Province revolting against the government. They were notorious for attempting to use Terran symbols to mock the government. Due to the unpopularity of a punitive invasion of the province, the government and the revolt had a peace treaty, resulting in the creation of the Khvostian region.

For several centuries, it was also the home of many Terran exiles, who were happy that their old homes were rebuilt and returned.

On 1020 AT, October replaced May as a traditional "month of the cat"

### Paradise Lost

Zvesta withstood against the Kyrvotins' global EMP, which disrupted technology across the world. With its massive wealth and technological reserves, the Zvestarids taught their allies across the world to use their machines, to prepare them to protect themselves against the empires that arose from the Great Game.

But as the centuries went by, the kingdom was divided between several political factions. One of them took over, seeking to reconcile with the Kovastoi Terrans. This faction was the Salvation Party, which became more unpopular as it promoted several corrupt behaviours to emulate the dystopias of Terra. It was ultimately the creation of several rich people from the Khvostian region, who sought to influence the Zvestarid government to favour them more.

The Salvation Party also made Bujan more isolated, using its vast wealth to promote a hypernationalist agenda and gradual assimilation with Terran norms. One of its most notorious acts was stubbornly refusing to send any aid to the nations of Baido and Raoti, which fell to Wannaenid rule, expecting the two countries to "be grateful" for the poor military aid.

It was also the Salvation Party who welcomed the Wannaenid Empire's fleets as they invaded Zvesta, seeking to rule over the island as viceroys. The last King of Zvesta was killed defending the capital, Koscheigrad, against the Wannaenid bombing of his city.

The Salvation Party's members were left behind, prevented from following the Zvestarids as many of them departed for other lands. It was meant to punish them for their betrayal of their homeland and their continued appeasement with the Kovastoi, who continued to attempt terroristic attacks against Zvesta. As the new rulers of Zvesta, the Kovastoi appointed many exiled Terrans, known as Tyrskans, to oppress and enslave the Zvestarids who were left behind.

The rest of the Zvestarids lived on the Moon, Rukania, and various other realms.

### Remnants

The only parts of Zvesta that continued the functions of the state were the islands between Makkadal and its region of Arienai, and the Sun City islands southeast of Arienai. Both were fortified as bastions and foundries, supplying the Makkadalish royal armed forces for the day they will overthrow the Wannaenid tyrants infesting Bujan.

The collapse of the Wannaenid energy barriers led to a massive counteroffensive from Makkadal, where the royal army was joined by the Zvestarid Coalition in destroying the Wannaenid occupants. After independence, much of Sun City was returned to Makkadal, while Olan Province continued its administrative duties over the remnant islands under the Kingdom of Bujan. The remnants of the old Zvestarid monarchy in those islands refused requests to become another duchy, renouncing their royal titles as their "payment" for their ancestors' failures to become commoners.

Both the death gangs of central Bujan and the Salvationist Party also claimed themselves as the true successors of Zvesta.

### Redemption

Over time, the remaining Zvestarids in their homeland formed resistance groups, attempting war against the Wannaenid rulers and their Tyrskan warriors. They were joined by slave revolts across the island, and occasional Tyrskan and Terran defectors who sought to redeem themselves out of disgust and shame from their society's cruelty. They also had to fight against the death gangs, who eventually attacked local Zvestarids in fits of rage after hunting down Terran war criminals.

The revolution gained the attention of the Zvestarid exiles, who gathered their forces with their allies, known as the Zvestarid Coalition. The Coalition was made of many nations that the bygone kingdom had built and trained, seeking to return their gratitude by aiding the liberation of Zvesta. When the energy shields were shut down by the resistance, the exiles and their Coalition allies stormed into Bujan, and their alliance with the local resistance forces overwhelmed the Wannaenids and drove them out.

The last Zvestarids underwent purification rites, seeking forgiveness for their ancestors' crimes and betrayal. They later aided the Terran defectors in integrating themselves into Zvestarid society, into a reborn Bujan purified from its insanity.

### A Cursed Legacy

But they also had to fight the remnants of the death gangs, who held out in five provinces in the middle of Bujan. After the massacres of July 1892 were stopped, the fanatics' misuse of Zvesta's symbols may had caused the other Bujanski to move on, rather than directly continue the fallen state. They were isolated from the rest of Bujan to stop them from carrying another war to the neighbouring countries, and eventually the isolated regime collapsed and was reintegrated into Bujan.

Zvesta was reborn into a somewhat different society, no thanks to its self-claimed "defenders" descending into madness, and cursing the name of Zvesta for generations to come. In its place was a cautious juxtaposition of Zvesta's existence with innovation, guided by the teachings of the Denlotia, various codes of justice, and the friends that taught the kingdom to return to its plentiful allies.

## Language

The Zvestarid language was the direct ancestor of the modern Bujanski language. The Standardisation made it an international language used and known by nearly every nation on Jerde as a business language.

When Bujan regained its independence, the local Zvestarid language of Bujan adjusted itself to fit the international standard, By that time, there were only a few differences in vocabulary and pronunciation, making it very instant.

The standard of Bujanski used elsewhere outside Bujan is still known to this day as Zvestarid.

The main differences between international Zvestarid and modern Bujanski are:

* what script is used - Zvestarid uses Common ("Cyrillic"), but Bujanski uses its own alphabet from ancient Rukania.
* the name - Bujan always refers its own Slavic language as "Bujanski", but in the rest of the world, "Zvestarid" is often used alongside the more-correct "Bujanski".

### Variants of "go" (thou, you)

The most notable difference against modern Bujanski is what words are used instead of "go", the word for "you".

* sio/sia, tio/tia - Siangwaanian
* tjo/tja - Josolchir, Azgovian
* tjo/tja - Arantarese
* tö/tē - Heronoi
* tö/ta - Pinogunian
* jor/jar - Marnosyn

The "tjo" word used in other nations was from an obsolete form that almost replaced "no/go" at around the 1000s AT.

### Eosome language

Eosome was the other official language of Zvesta, yet it was only used in several countries beyond the Wonao realms.

### Other languages

The royal court of Zvesta also used a very formalised form of Rukanian as a courtly language. Rukanian was still used when members of the royal family fled to the islands east and south of Arienai, but it became so outdated that by the time other Bujanski returned from Rukania as knights, the latter found it to be so different.

## Trivia

* "Zvesta" was from "zvjezda" (звезда, or zvezda), the Russian word for "a star".
* Anything or anyone from Zvesta, or its language, was known as "Zvestarid".
* The Zvestarids made a code of conduct out of anger and disgust at the Darroskei for attempting to dominate them, mostly to avoid becoming like the Darroskei in their imperialist attitude. They continued a tradition that began with their founder, Koschei, who also created rules to help his people avoid committing the same evils of his enemies.
* At the eve of Wannaenid conquest, Zvesta had twenty-nine provinces.
* Zvesta's Sarmelonid influences were based on the Ottoman Empire using Persian and Arabic influences; or Majapahit and Ayutthaya being influenced by Hinduism. Hence Zvesta's official name being a Sarmelonid title, "Zjostārolaz Makhantaral" (Sublime Zvestarid Realm), based on the Ottoman Empire's official name, "Devlet-i ʿAlīye-i ʿOsmānīye" (Sublime Ottoman State).
	+ It may also be an allusion to the "Saltan" part of Tsar Saltan, the inspiration for Bujan in the Rabydosverse.
	+ The use of Rukanian in Zvesta may be influenced by the use of French as a courtly language in Europe. The other name used for Zvesta in some royal documents was "Velykokrai Zvesta", which was used by the Makkadalish remnant until its reunification with the restored Bujanski nation.

## See also

* Bujanski folklore
* Formal Bujanski glossary