The Republic of Illjika

Flag of the Republic of Illjika

The Coat of Arms of the Republic of Illjika

 **PAGE EXTREMELY OUT OF DATE IN CERTAIN AREAS; IT'S BEING WORKED ON MAYBE**

Illjika (also: Ilyicha; Illjikan: Illjika) is a nation located in centre-west Kanita and is a member nation of the State Union. Ilyicha borders Hrozava and Kladiow to the west, and Catsbourg to the east.

Illjika is a parliamentary republic, and currently the Socialist Party leads a coalition with the Pirate Party and the Social-Democratic Party. The Chancellor, Marija Zarečnaja, leads the Socialist Party and the Vice Chancellor, Gregor Koltov, is the leader of the Conservative Party.

Illjika is a very well-advanced nation with a superb quality of life. It performs very well on matters of human rights; particularly in areas such as freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and individual privacy.

### **Etymology**

Illjika's name comes from the name of the Goddess Illjika, the protector goddess of the Illjik people. Pushes have been made in recent years to rename the nation to better represent those who are not ethnic Illjik or do not conform to the Svjeto religion, but they have been unsuccessful thus far.

### **History**

**A Note About the Illjik Calendar:** Illjik Reckoning begins at the founding of the Holy Kingdom of Illjika, which was in 628 AD by Standard Reckoning. When presenting years, the Standard Reckoning year will be first, followed by the Illjik Reckoning year in parentheses.

#### **Pre-History**

The earliest known civilization in Illjika is the Proto-Ikan, a society that inhabited Illjika's Ikanja river basin. It is believed that from this ancient society came Ulina's slavic cultures. Nations with Ikan roots include not just Illjika, but also: Donat, Kruhasta, Hrozava, Pinyin, and Mikini. The earliest known evidence of this civilization came in 1995, when an Illjik archaeological team discovered tools dated to be 12,000 years old. The Proto-Ikan are generally thought to have been a decentralized society in their early days, made up of several different tribes that didn't consider themselves to be part of a group larger than their tribe.

#### **The Ikan Empire**

The Ikan Empire began in the year -350 ( -978) when the king of a large town from the south of the basin, Stannes the Conqueror, began unifying the Ikan tribes. Once this had been accomplished, he set out to conquer anything else he could. He conquered much of western Kanita, demanding tribute from the towns and tribes he encountered. Stannes, after 20 years of conquest, died in battle in what is now western Catsbourg. He was succeeded by his son, Vasin the Great, who is credited as one of the best military commanders of the ancient world. In just 5 years after his accession to the throne in -330 (-958), Vasin managed to take control of nearly all of the Kanitan continent. He then continued on to Zapita. After 11 more years of warfare, he had conquered much of northwest Zapita. However, he would die of tea fever at the age of 36. His successors would expand the Empire a relatively small amount in Zapita, but none would come close to the fantastic conquests of Stannes and Vasin.

Eventually, starting in -84 (-712) and continuing over a period of 100 years until 16 (-612) would be an era known as the Century Decline, in which the Ikan Empire began to lose control of its territories. Local uprisings and raiding barbarians from the few territories that had resisted conquest were common, and forced the Empire to retreat. Gradually, Imperial forces retreated to Kanita, then behind the Roljo River until it was contained to what is now modern-day Illjika and Hrozava. Himegiite and Kracian revolts pushed back Imperial forces even farther, until its capital city of Korunagrad stood on its eastern frontier. In the year 62, Kracian forces beseiged Korunagrad, finally breaking through the city's walls, raiding it, and burning it to the ground. Following the loss of the capital city, the Empire lost all control and disintegrated.

The Ikan Empire, different from its Ripieran cousins, did not assimilate its conquered territories into its own culture. The peoples of the Eggdog Chiefdom, and Lestovia took on elements of their conqueror's cultures, as did the peoples who would become the nation of Mikini, following the Great Monkey Exodus. Most of the territories, however, retained their own cultural identities. This is why Zapita and Kanita are not dominated by Ikan cultures, but still have multiple Ikan nations.

#### **The Era of Disunity**

Immediately following the fall of the Ikan Empire, Illjika descended into chaos and anarchy. In this period (most scholars speculate it lasted some 300-400 years), deemed the "Illjik Dark Age", several valuable stores of knowledge were lost. Due to a lack of literacy in the general population, and a lack of interest in most of the literate population to record anything but holy texts, not much is known about the Illjik Dark Age. There were spurts of intellectualism, specifically the efforts of Dimas the Short-Penised to record the events of the times, but these are not enough to cover the entire era.

After some time of anarchy, city-states began to form and some order existed. These city-states were sometimes organized around powerful warlords; others, around religious institutes; still others, around simple geography or cultural similarities. The number of city-states fluctuated, and there can be anywhere between 20-50 at any given time. Notable city-states included: Zolstoja, Serebagrad, Korunagrad, and Postovi. This period of city-states lasted around 250 years, and most scholars place the end of the city-state era at 628 (0), the founding of the Holy Kingdom of Illjika. However, some place the end of the era at the time when every city-state excluding Postovi (which would remain independent until 2004) had been absorbed into the Holy Kingdom.

Beginning in the 4th century (-2nd century), a surge of intellectualism took place. It began in Serebagrad before spreading to the other city states; including Zolstoja, Korunagrad, and Poliegorod. The city-states experienced a surge in interest in the humanities, sciences, and arts. Philosophy and maths became popular subjects, and theatre, music, sculpture, and architecture all experienced artistic developments. In 380, Illjika's first republic was formed in Zolstoja, and Postovi followed in 402.

#### **The Holy Kingdom of Illjika**

The Holy Kingdom of Illjika was founded by Car' Dorefan Dulcev I of Korunagrad on Midsummer's Day, 628 (0). The Kingdom of Korunagrad merged with 4 other nearby city-states on that day, and became the Holy Kingdom of Illjika, backed by the Norite Church (Crkvata Nore). The Holy Kingdom sent this ultimatum to the other Illjik city-states: join the Holy Kingdom, or be invaded by it. Only two city-states accepted, and thus began a centuries-long unification campaign. By the 500 year anniversary of the Holy Kingdom's founding, the only target of the Holy Kingdom's campaigns that remained independent was the Republic of Postovi, and the Hetmanate of Vodorekova (predicessor of Hrozava). The Holy Kingdom, at its greatest extent, was divided into five duchies: the Duchy of Illjika, the Duchy of Himegistan, the Duchy of Tantu, the Duchy of Rybayeros, and the Duchy of Hrozava.

In the year 1229 (601), the citizens of the Holy Kingdom as well as the nobles were growing dissatisfied with Car Rudolf Dulcev III. This increasing unrest culminated when a group of nobles, lead by Aleksei Vlasac I, presented the Car' with a constitution and forced him to sign it into effect with threat of forced abdication. This limited the power of the Car', and established a lawmaking body that eventually became the Duma, Illjika's parliament.

In the year 1662 (1034), religious extremism was growing. One point of this extremism was that the Car' ruled Illjika by divine accord, and a group of believers argued that the Duma was infringing on the Car''s divine right. They took action, and attempted to blow up the Duma and restore full authority to the Car'. They succeeded, and 79 out of 98 Duma members were killed in the explosion. Ironically, Car' Lima Dulcev IV and the Archbishop of Korunagrad were also killed. The sudden opening in the Duma allowed Illjika's noble class (known as dvormesi) to fill the Duma with their own. For years to come, the Duma would pander to the dvormesi.

Hrozava gained their independence in the Nadyiv Revolution of 1789 (1161), and inspired by the success of the Nadyiv Revolution, over the next centuries the other duchies would slowly follow. Rybayeros gained independence after a brutal, 7-year war from 1812 (1184) to 1819 (1191). Himegistan slowly dissolved into several states over a period of over 150 years, the first gaining independence in 1814 (1186) by virtue of good timing, and the last leaving the Holy Kingdom in 1969 (1341). Tantu quietly gained its independence in 1892 (1264). Eventually, the Holy Kingdom of Illjika was reduced to only Central Illjika. After years of economic and imperial success, as well as seeing the Hrozavan government weakened by the Great Strifes, which made Hrozava a federation, the Ilijiks attempted to regain lost Hrozavan territory in the Barking War, in 1937. Although very successful in the beginning few months, even capturing Zvolen, and Beretsya, two of Hrozava's most important cities, the Ilijiks quickly found themselves on the backfoot, after Hrozavan mobilization, and guerilla tactics were able to push them back to the original borders. The Treaty of Beretsya ended the war, and the war is still a disputed topic, as Hrozavans and most international histroians see the war as won by the Hrozavans, while Ilijik scholars claim the war was a stalemate, as the leading General Melnyk of Hrozava planned to conquer Ribajeros, and was held back at the West Ribajerian mountain chain. This war greatly unstablized the Holy Kingdom.

#### **The Illjik Civil Wars**

The Illjik Civil Wars were a series of three wars. The first erupted on New Year's 1979 (1351) in Antonova as dvormesi police fired on protestors and violence broke out. The revolution quickly spread, and half a year later the Holy Kingdom of Illjika had ended and the First Socialist Republic of Illjika was founded. This revolution seemed successful yet it was short-lived, earning it the name of the Icarian Revolution.

Two years later, in 1981 (1353), the dvormesi were able to orchestrate a counterrevolution, the brutal nature of which earned it the nickname "the Gruesome Counterrevolution." It was by far the bloodiest of the Illjik Civil Wars, and included the Tragedy of the Citadel in which countless socialist fighters were lost. The socialists were holed up in Zolstoja, and as the dvormesi approached, the Battle of Zolstoja commenced. The town was razed to the ground by the dvormesi, and the remaining socialist forces were killed, captured, or exiled.

After five long years of the dvormesi oligarchy, the exiled socialists were able to organize one last, powerful strike in 1986 (1358). The new revolution started in Antonova and forced the dvormesi to radiate out from the capital into the corners of Illjika, the same tactic the dvormesi had used in the Gruesome Counterrevolution. The socialists had an advantage in the amount of popular support they received, and because of this were able to claim victory in the third Illjik Civil War, known as the "Glorious Revolution." Following the socialist victory, the Second Socialist Republic of Illjika was founded.

#### **The Socialist Republic of Illjika**

The Socialist Republic of Illjika was formed in 1986. At its formation, it only encompassed Central Illjika. Over time, the states that had formed after the collapse of the Holy Kingdom slowly joined the Republic, until Postovi entered the Republic in 2004. In 1990, Illjika united with the United Syndicates of Donat to form the Confederation of Slavia.

Although there were many factions among the revolutionaries during the Civil Wars, the new government was formed by the most popular faction, the Council Communists. The resulting government was largely decentralized. In short, the industries and factories of Illjika were controlled directly by the workers of those factories and industries. In the shops and plants, the workers directly assembled to make decisions and then take action on those decisions. They would also elect delegates, which had no governing power. Instead, the responsibility of the delegates was to facilitate discussions, carry out decisions made, and coordinate with the other working groups within the factory. The workers also elected central councils, one per industry, on much the same basis as the delegates. The central councils were responsible for coordination between the industries and within their own industries, between the shops. The central councils were also responsible for data collection, and ensuring that information was easily accessible and comprehensible to the workers. As with the delegates, the central councils acted on the decisions of the workers, rather than making decisions for the workers. Thus, the distinction between workers and managers vanished as the ruling body was not the councils, nor the delegates, but rather the workers themselves. Notable among the councils was the International Council, which was responsible for international affairs, including Illjikan relations with other nations. Although the Socialist Republic of Illjika had no head of state nor a head of government, one member of the Council of Foreign Affairs was chosen to act as a "chief diplomat" to foreign nations. This so-called "First Councilor" had no more power than any other councilor, except that they tended to be the one signing treaties and the like. The First Councilors of Illjika were Valerija Novak (1986-2004) and Saša Tješmuž (2004-2025).

In 1990, the Socialist Republic of Illjika united with the United Syndicates of Donat to form the Socialist Confederation of Slavia. The two nations remained very much independent, and there was no unifying government between the two. Instead, the Socialist Confederation was simply an agreement between the two nations to work together and cooperate. The Socialist Confederation has been called a "strong friendship", with both positive and negative connotations. Despite the lack of central government, Donat and Illjika saw their fortunes increase greatly with Slavia.

Illjika's socialist period is today marked as one of the happier times in its history. Most Illjik look on this time favorably, especially in comparison to the blackshirt period that immediately followed. Historian Leon Mironov wrote that "the socialist period was a time of growth for Illjika. We shed our old imperial skin and grew into a new democratic one. We grew our industries, and with them, our quality of life. It was a time of happy cooperation."

However, there have been some criticisms of the socialist government, mostly regarding its lack of centralization. "The socialist period," historian Milorad Krivec wrote, "was a time of disorganization and chaos. The revolutionary government (if there could be said to be one) relied on the cooperation of many workers within many factories within many industries. It is a miracle that it remained afloat for 39 years."

#### **The Illjik Blackshirts**

In 2025, blackshirt uprisings swept Slavia. Beginning in Donat with the coup that put Sonya Kremenobor in power, this movement quickly spread to Illjika, where the councils were unseated and Gregor Koltov was nominated by Kremenobor for the position of Governor of the Autonomous Province of Illjika.

Under the blackshirts, Koltov had near complete control over Illjika *de jure*, with only Kremenobor above him. It was later discovered that Kremenobor often went to Nikita Koržakov (leader of the Čuvari, Kremenobor's secret police organization, in Illjika) without consulting Koltov, and so Koržakov was, *de facto*, the leader of Illjika's police. However, as Governor of Illjika, Koltov still had uncontested, nearly absolute control over Illjika. Below him in government was the Illjik Council, which was comprised of one appointed representative from each province (in the Republic, the members of the Illjik Council are elected). The Illjik Council suggested ideas to Koltov and approved his decisions (they had veto power, but this was never done). Their main purpose was to advise Koltov and bring local perspectives. Koltov also reinstated the monarchy with Car' Vladimir Dulcev XIV, who was guaranteed a spot on the Illjik Council.

The blackshirt government grew industry in Illjika, and attempted to achieve autarky through a number of economic programs. Although autarky was not entirely achieved, Illjika's economy and global economic position were greatly stengthened during the blackshirt period at the expense of worker's rights. Blackshirt Illjika was a corporate state, meaning each industrial sector was controlled by a corporation. These corporations were comprised of representatives of workers and managers from that respective industrial sector, as well as government representatives who acted as moderators. The corporations were intended to find fair solutions between workers and managers and thus end class struggle, but because of the limitations on worker's rights and the persecution of many working-class leaders, the decisions made often ended up in favor of the managers. Each corporation sent delegates to the General Assembly, which made major economic decisions. The General Assembly was completely in the hands of Koltov, as it was dominated by loyal blackshirts and he had the power to approve or deny any decision made.

Immediately upon their rise to power, Koltov and the blackshirts set to work busting underground socialist groups (including the largest one, the Illjik Partisan League or IPL), and within a year most socialists and anarchists who had dared to stay active were exiled, imprisoned, or executed. Koltov had his own code, and punished resistors according to the severity of their crimes. Allegedly unbeknownst to Koltov, the Čuvari was treating political dissidents. Those set for execution were treated cruelly until their death, and those set for mere imprisonment were subjected to conditions so harsh many died anyways. Most notably, Saša Tješmuž (the unofficial leader of the Illjik partisan movement) was captured by Admiral Bernard Vitni of the Illjik Navy, who would later become Emperor Bernard Vitni-Mulhar I of Great Hegi. However, Tješmuž was able to escape, launching Vitni from his ship and into the Gouhaz, where he would be elected Emperor. Tješmuž reached Spiggsland in 2026 and reorganized the IPL with Marija Zarečnaja and Nojsin, and the next four years were spent preparing for attack. In 2030, the IPL successfully incited revolution against the blackshirts, and the Republic of Illjika as we know it was established. Immediately following the 2030 revolution, Gregor Koltov was tried for his crimes. It was found that he was unaware of Kremenobor's worst actions in Illjika, and so he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with chance of parole after 8 years, which he was granted. Koržakov, who was aware of and even orchestrated Kremenobor's worst actions in Illjika, was executed by partisans during the 2030 Revolution.

#### **The Republic of Illjika**

Following the downfall of the Blackshirts, a new Slavian constitution was adopted. This constitution was written and ratified in 2030, and then updated in 2038 for the entrance of Hrozava into Slavia. Illjika adopted a new constitution in 2030 as well, which outlines the current government on the constituent level and fills out the blanks left by the Slavian constitution. Following Hrozava's secession, the governments of Donat and Illjika signed a treaty in February of 2050 which formed Slavia's successor state - the State Union of Donat & Illjika.

The new government's first order of business was *de-fascisation*, which included trying fascist officials for their crimes, outlawing fascist ideologies, removing fascist structures and monuments, and setting up the new, democratic government. The Korunagrad Trials, the series of trials which aimed to prosecute fascist officials, took place from 2030-2032. Many were anxious for the outcome of these trials, and so decisions were made on many of the cases as quickly as possible. Due to this rush, some feel that justice was not entirely served by the trials. The haste of de-fascistisation has led to allegations that there are certain holes in the legal system which lend themselves to corruption, in favor of ex-fascists. The case of Gregor Koltov is an exceedingly clear example of this. There are still believed to be ex-fascists in hiding outside of Illjika, some reports claiming that Catsbourg, with its nationalist government, is a favorite of the exiles.

The first Chancellor of the Republic was Saša Tješmuž (2030-34). The first Vice Chancellor was Aleksei Vlasac (2030-2038). The current Chancellor is Marija Zarečnaja (2034-). Following his release from prison in 2038, Koltov has rebranded himself into a moderate, populist conservative politician rather than the fascist he once was. With this shift towards the center, he's been able to capture the support of many Illjik conservatives, as well as anti-socialist liberals. Koltov was elected Vice Chancellor shortly following his release from prison (2038-).

### **Geography**

#### **Climate**

Illjika's climate is continental in the north and center, but it becomes more temperate towards the south. The north of Illjika is known to be very cold and dry in the winter months, however it does reach above 60F in the summer and becomes more humid with the sea breeze. The south of Illjika, by contrast, is close to a mediterranean climate and generally more humid.

#### **Environment**

The northern coast of Illjika is rocky. Northern Illjika (save for the bits that are coast and tundra) is filled with moors and highlands. Central Illjika is generally heavily wooded, containing both temperate and boreal forests. The south has grasslands (notably lavender fields), while the Zolstoja Kraj is a tundra. A mountain range runs along Illjika's western border and along the border of Ribajeros, another separates Central Illjika from Southern Illjika and Himegi, and another separates the Zolstoja tundra from the rest of Illjika. Illjika is also home to many lakes and rivers, the most notable river basin being in the Ikanja region, where the ancient Illjik first settled. Illjika's Ribajeros Province is also home to the second largest lake in Kanita, Racek Jezero.

Illjika's largest native religion, Svjeto, places a great deal of emphasis on nature. Indeed, spirits of forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains have all been known to bless vessels. As such, Illjika has a long tradition of environmental conservation. Being "green" is seen as noble and a sign of a person's kindness. Illjika's government and its citizens do their best to keep their environment clean and ecosystems stable, and pride themselves on their success.

#### **Biodiversity**

Due to Illjika's large size and multiple biomes, it has a large range of biodiversity. The different natural species are typically classified into one of three categories: flora, fauna, and mystika. Flora of course refers to plants and fauna to animals, and mystika refers to dieties, spirits, and various magical creatures. Illjika has several national symbols derived from these: the red rose and tulip are Illjika's national flowers, and the raven is its national bird. Gamajun is also a national symbol of Illjika, as she is said to be the servant and messenger of the Goddess Illjika herself.

### **Politics and Government**

Illjika has a 500-seat unicameral parliament, the Duma. Duma elections are held every two years. All decisions made in the Duma must also pass through the Illjik Constituent Council (ICC) and the Illjik Chancellor. The ICC is made up of one representative from each province, and is elected every four years. The Chancellor is elected every four years, and the candidate who places second in the race for Chancellor becomes Vice Chancellor. The Illjik Government also includes a set of Ministries. These are the Ministries of: Domestic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, War, Justice, Labour, Health, Education, Agriculture, and Culture. Each Minister is appointed by the Chancellor and approved by the Duma and the ICC.

Seven parties have seats in the Duma. They are, from political left to right, the Socialist Party, the Pirate Party, the Social-Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, the Three Lords' Party, the Conservative Party, and the National Party. Illjika is currently very left-leaning, as the Socialists lead a coalition with the Social-Democrats and Pirates. The Conservatives head the opposition. Chancellor Zarečnaja leads the Socialist Party, and Vice Chancellor Koltov leads the Conservative Party.

#### **Administrative Regions**

(outdated)

Illjika is a federal state divided into 13 kraje and 2 capital regions. These are grouped into 3 provinces. The three provinces are Cental Illjika, Himegi and Postovitia, and Ribajeros. The provinces are mostly historical, but every inhabitant of a province votes for one member on the Illjik Constituent Council. The kraje and capital regions are the most important divisions. Each kraj has a parliament and its own chancellor/prime minister, but is subject to the federal government. The capital regions are independent from the kraje, but their residents still vote for a member on the Illjik Constituent Council along with the rest of their province. The kraje are further divided into okresi, which are county/municipal governments.

#### **Foreign Relations**

Illjika maintains good relations with its Kanitan neighbors through the Union of Kanitan Countries (UKC). It also has membership in the Slavic Coalition. Abroad, it tends to be more ideological than expedient and often will refuse to become friendly with totalitarian regimes.

#### **Military**

Following the Military Centralization Act, Illjika's military has been incorporated into the Slavian Military as the Illjik Theatre. Illjika's military has seven key branches:

* The Army— The land warfare branch of Illjika's military, and the oldest.
* The Navy— Illjika's largest and most advanced military branch, undertakes naval warfare. One of the best naval forces in the world, and closely works with Led Kempese au Vau'sena.
* The Air Force— The branch of Illjika's military dedicated to air warfare.
* The Space Fleet— Illjika's second-newest branch, after the Cyber Force. Established shortly after the Civil Wars in 1988 (1360), this branch deals with space warfare and is one of the world's more advanced space forces.
* The Home Guard— A rapid mobilization force dedicated to protecting Illjika in the event of an invasion or foreign attack. It focuses on local defense and civil support, and is a rather decentralized military branch.
* The Cyber Corps— Illjika's newest military branch. Defends the Republic from cyber attacks and criminals.
* The Exploration Corps— Not exactly a militant branch, but rather a scientific one. The Exploration Corps is tasked with scientific discovery. These days, that mainly means space travel and exploration, although the Navy also plays a key role.

Illjika's military benefits from magical advantages. In recent years, researchers have been able to blend technology with vessel magic and alchemy to create optimized gear, weapons, and vehicles for the military, giving Illjika a formidable edge in combat.

### **Demographics**

#### **Ethnic Groups**

Four major ethnic groups reside in Illjika today: the Illjik, the Himegiites, the Ricarhemel, and the Svinj.

### **Culture**

#### **Human Rights**

Illjika has a long tradition of being a progressive nation, although it has had its reactionary periods. Although human rights were scattered during the Era of City-States, Zolstoja and Postovi are notable for their long democratic traditions. At the beginning of the Holy Kingdom, there was a notable amount of respect towards women and queer folk. However, there was little tolerance towards religious minorities, and Illjikanization campaigns were undertaken against the non-Illjik subjects (most notably, against Hrozava). During the long fall of the Holy Kingdom, liberties and rights for peasants and workers were gradually restricted further and further in order to consolidate power in the hands of the Car'lje and Dvormesa. By 1940, voting rights had been restricted to propertied, educated men. However, the council communist government of the Second Socialist Republic of Illjika greatly expanded civil rights, creating protections for women's rights, queer rights, rights for religious and ethnic minorities, and, of course, worker's rights. During the Blackshirt regime, political and worker's rights were infringed upon and limited (e.g. workers could no longer strike; voting was restricted to members of the Blackshirt party).

Today, Illjika is very well advanced in its human rights. It performs particularly well on matters of freedom of speech and the press, as well as individual privacy. Legislation protects religious and ethnic minorities, as well as queer folk and women. Workers also have extensive rights (right to organize, right to strike, etc.) which are protected by further legislation. Illjika also has a tradition of "pravoto brodat'" ("the right to roam") which is still observed today. This protects the rights of people to hike, camp, and so forth. Illjika guarantees other rights as well, such as the rights to healthcare, housing, and education; the right to a fair trial; and the rights to vote and run for public office. Illjika's democracy is very well developed, and it ranks among the top countries on Ulina's democracy index. However, fascism and promoting fascism are banned in Illjika because of its disastrous 5-year blackshirt period.

#### **Magic**

There are two major forms of magic used in Illjika, vessel magic and alchemy.

Users of vessel magic are known as Vjed'ume, and Illjik magic users are characterized by their communication with gods, spirits, and other supernatural entities. Most Vjed'ume use masks as a vessel through which they are able to channel powers granted to them by a "patron" deity or spirit. A wide range of abilities are available to Vjed'ume depending on a large number of factors.

Alchemists (most common in Himegi & Postovitia) draw on the powers of the gods, the earth, and celestial bodies to create things such as enhanced materials or potions with various effects. Alchemically-created metals armor certain vehichles of the Illjik military, as they can be both sturdy and light. Alchemists are also able to enhance sclavenium, an energy-giving material found in Donat, to power starships. The creations of alchemists can have more day-to-day effects as well, such as a balm that can soothe rashes.