Thornian Empire

The Thornian world, highlighted in yellow, turquoise, and pink.

The **Thornian Empire** is the union of Thornia, self-governing countries, and their colonies in personal union under the House of Thornia or the Xiao dynasty. spanning almost the entire eastern half of the known world. It is the successor to the state of Great Thornia.

The current imperial state began as an Imperial Federation, originally as a balance between maintaining some sense of nominal unity whilst providing even more autonomy to self-governing regions of the Thornian colonial empire. The ruling elite attempted to re-establish the ancient Umic title of Ezgeriet as a semi-democratic ruler over the wider Thornian world, but no election was ever held to pick the first Ezgeriet. Imperial rule was briefly centralised in the lead-up-to and during the Chen-Thornia War. The internal economic situation of the empire in the aftermath of the war required the resumption of decentralised governance. However, this led to a widespread insurrection by pan-Thornian miltias made up of veterans of the Thornian Civil War and the Chen-Thornia War. This was then followed by the Veterans' Rebellion, which saw various political factions entice veterans of the civil war and the war against the Chen to join their opposing causes against the empire and each other.

Increasing interest in Xandunese culture throughout Palusia and Goruid, even throughout the Chen-Thornia War, had led to the Xandunese language being adopted in academia and even within the military. The arrival of large numbers of Xandunese refugees to the region during The Great Plague of 2020-2021 also led to deeper cultural transfusion in day-to-day life. It is known that a large minority of Thornian Army regiments from northern Goruid were Xandunese.

## History

### Founding

The Great Thornian state, founded in 2020, had faced significant internal turmoil for nearly two continuous years. A year of heightened chaos in the form of the Thornian Civil War, the August Rising, and the Coup of the Moderates, had led to substantial degradation of the capability of the central government to govern. The Presidential Office was forced to transform into a quasi-imperial throne in order to maintain order and hold the country together.

A decree in early December 2022 proclaimed the position of President to be renamed to Ezgeriet, the title of the historical leaders of the ancient city-state of Ume. The title was deemed vague enough to neither connote the office is either a monarchic or republican title. Ezgeriet Clarence had planned for the Thornian provinces to be reorganised according to new borders, but this was largely replaced by the reintroduction of historic leadership titles and a new hierarchy to govern the Thornian empire less centrally. Clarence resigned from the position of Ezgeriet with immediate effect on 15 December. No election was called by any regional leader, leaving the leaders of the constituent states and territories as de facto sovereign leaders.

On 19 December, the Voranate of Petrodis and the Achalonate of Elysia formalised the de facto existent Union of Volovna. Both territories would remain legally separate within the context of the Imperial Federation, but were otherwise considered a single entity outside of it.

It was around this time that a shepherd named Raloff or Raxos from the recently-annexed island village of Falainos on the coast of the Sea of Temples made a name for himself in Okthi as a preacher of wisdom. Raloff is believed to have grown up under the Falainoic faith known as Ikshaba which, like Late Aiwanism, worshipped the sea. Raloff is thought to have despised life as a fisherman and eagerly heeded the call of Okthian land owners who came in search of labour in the aftermath of the depopulation of the east of Aphthonis caused by the rebellions earlier in the year. Henceforth, Raloff was known as Raloff of Okthi. Raloff was already known to have preached amongst his former fellow fishermen even before the arrival of the Thornians. It is also rumoured that Raloff had healing powers.

### War of the Three Regions (December 2022 - 12 March 2023)

#### Tsapansal Rebellion

In late December 2022, the Am Lon, Hga Bun, and Kul Khit tribes of Aphthonis formally unified as the Tsapansal State. The name *tsapansal* is the indigenous Aphthonic name for the vast stretch of land across the north coast of the Sabaran Sea. The Tsapansal Army consisted of veterans of the previous revolts and even large numbers of disgruntled Umic Thornians upset with reforms in the Thornian Army.

Through much of early 2023, Tsapansali forces managed to capture the entirety of Greater Dobresia, Greater Chamos, the entire Sea of Temples coastline, and much the region surrounding Petrodis. However, they never captured Petrodis by force until the Treaty of Petrodis granted them control of the city.

It is thought that Raloff of Okthi preached, in broken Kul-Khithan and Thornian Umic, to the people of Okthi in this time. He managed to convince the heads of the village to bar any form of conscription of their people. Many who were against the war in neighbouring Chamos and other settlements flocked to Okthi. It was at this point that a Kul-Khit from Chamos by the name of Diwad came into Raloff's growing cult. Diwad's standing amongst Raloff's following quickly grew as he brokered a pardon for Chamosi draft dodgers with the Tsapansal Army.

#### Travonnian and Trabonian riots

The so-called twin regions of Travonnia (nestled between Xandu-proper and Dobresia) and Trabonia (south of Cataracta and north of Umia) had almost always been settled by a people group related to the original Umic population. They remained largely agrarian and peaceful even through the Thornian Civil War and the revolts of 2022. However, crop failures due to the high death toll caused by the Great Plague and hefty taxation of its populace forced the hand of the region's populace. No organised uprising has yet taken place, though the region has seen plenty of violent riots and attempts to storm Thornian Army garrisons.

#### Boravian Commonwealth

The Kaplanate of Boravia had been under the rule of a military council representing the Achalon of Elysia since the creation of the Imperial Federation. The sudden routing of Thornian forces in Aphthonis and riots across Travonnia and Trabonia forced the now thinly-funded Thornian Army to redirect financial resources and food supplies to military units in northern Goruid, Greater Umia, and Petrodis to defend the new frontlines. Though such redirections of resources have happened in past conflicts, little was left in the grain stores of Boravia after much of its farmers were sent to fight in the conflicts of 2021 and 2022.

Letters to Boravian soldiers fighting in other regions of the empire triggered mass desertion in the Thornian Army, especially in Travonnia where many Boravian soldiers were directed to keep the peace. The deserting Boravians made their way home to help with the upcoming harvest season and even defied orders from local army captains to return to their respective fronts. Attempts to arrest some of these soldiers led to entire military police units being "disappeared" by village folk.

In early February 2023, the kaplanate's ruling council was arrested en masse by angry citizens. A group of village leaders across the kaplanate formed a new "*Assembly of the Settlements*" and declared Boravia a republic known as the Boravian Commonwealth, though they did not declare independence from the Imperial Federation. The Tsapansal State has since sent delegates to the Boravian Commonwealth, recognising its government as legitimate.

#### Formation of Trabovonia

It had been rumoured throughout January 2023 that Tsapansal and Tyavylian agents have been in secret talks with village leaders across the region to formally organised Travonnia and Trabonia into a new state, akin to the Tsapansal State. In early February 2023, the Travonnians and Trabonians formed a united Trabovonian republic.

By mid February, it was understood that relations between the Trabovonian and Tsapansali governments soured dramatically after the Tsapansali government refused to provide direct military support against the Thornian peacekeeping force scattered throughout the region. The Trabovonians turned to mercenaries from the Dark Realm of Han to assist in their first major offensive operations against the Thornians.

#### Treaty of Petrodis

Representatives from the Tsapansal, Boravia, Elysia, Cataracta, Ume, and Trabovonian villages loyal to Palus met in Petrodis to discuss a ceasefire and a hasty peace treaty to quickly put an end to the siege of Petrodis and the paranoia over the potential for the conflict to spread into northern Goruid. However, the elephant in the room was the fear that the Chen Empire was using its mercenaries to destabilise the Thornian world both politically and militarily.

A preliminary joint-proclamation outlined that:

* All armed conflict between the three negotiating powers would end immediately.
* Food supplies would be evenly distributed throughout the union.
* On borders and rulers:
	+ Tsapansal and Boravia would be recognised as independent states.
	+ The Achalonate of Elysia would be succeeded by the Kingdom of Thornia. The founding royal dynasty of Thornia will be re-instanted immediately. The King would also be recognised as the King of the Tsapansal and the King of Boravia.
	+ The western regions of the empire would be reorganised into the following semi-independent territories:
		- Republic and City of Ume
		- Republic and City of Cataracta
		- Republic and City of Palus
		- County of Travonnia
		- County of Trabonia
	+ The Imperial Federation of Thornia will now be considered a supranational organisation rather than as a single state.
	+ The Union of Volovna would cease to exist and all three powers (and the other states of the Imperial Federation) would form a coalition army. The Tsapansal and Boravia agreed that they would immediately intervene in the Trabovonian conflict against the mercenary groups of the Chen Empire.

#### Battle for Dobresia and Palusia

By early March 2023, most Trabovonian rebels and their hired mercenaries were driven out of Trabonia and almost entirely from Travonnia. Fighting was now almost entirely concentrated at the border between Travonnia and Dobresia. The Tsapansal Army opened a new front from the north, whilst the Thornian and Boravian coalition continued fighting from the south. There have been no pitched battles during this phase of the war as most Trabovonian forces have been hiding in the mountains and valleys of southern Dobresia. Hit-and-run tactics have been deployed by both sides.

The use of Dark Realm mercenaries had also soured relations between the wider Imperial Federation and the Chen Empire. The foreign ministry of the Chen Empire insisted that mercenary forces do not represent the state, and thus should not be seen as an indicator of the interests of their empire. The Imperial Federation has conducted raids on newly discovered mercenary safe houses throughout its member states, and no evidence has thus been found of a wider plot orchestrated by the Chen Empire to attack the Imperial Federation.

On 4 March, newly-arrived Tsapansal reinforcements from the north and east carried out a surprise mutiny in Dobrado. The reinforcements declared themselves the "Sovereign Sons" and proclaimed that they were joining the Trabovonians in the war against the wider Thornian empire. The Tsapansal Army hastily withdrew their loyalist forces from the Dobresian Highlands into the Lowlands to target the mutineers. It appeared that the mutiny was secretly coordinated with Trabovonia's central command as the Trabovonian forces made a renewed push southward, with troops from the northern front protecting their flank. The southern push broke through the Thornian and Boravian lines, pushing them all the way south to Palus. The Thornian Army crossed over to the eastern side of the Palus swamp, whilst Boravian forces attempted to hold the northern mainland outskirts of Palus. The Trabovonians swung further south, capturing Cataracta and rushing across the Palus-Cataracta rail bridge into Palus City. The Trabovonian Army hastily looted the treasury at the National Assembly and the the former Presidential Palace.

In the early hours of 5 March, when it seemed as if the city fell to the Trabovonians, the Thornians conducted an amphibious landing from the north and east, whilst the Boravians captured Little Palus Island and landed on the western side. The Trabovonian forces repelled the Boravian landing, but were forced to face continuous raids from the west whilst fighting off the Thornians in a gruesome street battle in front of the former Presidential Palace. By the evening of 5 March, the Thornians recaptured Palus and drove the Trabovonians southwards to Cataracta. The Boravians managed to pursue them all the way south to Trabonia, where some of the remaining Trabovonian forces and Chen Empire mercenaries surrendered to the Umic garrison. The Chen Empire mercenaries were hastily marched to the border with Xandu and were handed over to Xandunese border patrol. At least half of the fleeing Trabovonian forces managed to flee back to Travonnia.

Simultaneously, the Tsapansal Army realised that the Sovereign Sons were almost entirely encamped within Dobrado, and thus they blockaded the town and quietly marched the bulk of their loyalist forces southward. On the evening of 5 March, the Tsapansal Army launched a surprise mass-attack through the valleys of the Dobresian Highlands, forcing the remaining Trabovonian forces to scatter.

#### Travonnian Insurgency and the 12 March Proclamation

On the morning of 6 March, the scattered Trabovonian Army regrouped in Travonnia and announced that it had sent payment (using the looted artifacts from Palus) to more mercenary companies throughout the Chen Empire to aid in renewing their fight. The exhausted coalition armies of Thornia, Tsapansal, and Boravia were forced to hold their positions and brace for further attacks from Travonnia.

Unknown to the coalition forces, the Trabovonian Army had already made contact with mercenary reinforcements from the Chen Empire on 8 March. The Trabovonian forces made a surprise attack on besieged Dobrado. The scramble by the Tsapansals to respond allowed the Sovereign Sons to break through the frontlines and regroup with the Trabovonians. The Tsapansal Army was forced to retreat from almost the entire south-west of Tsapansal and lost a portion of their forces en route to Petrodis due to a lack of preparation for the desert trek and numerous ambushes by pillager forces. Some rennegade loyalist Tsapansal forces and the regional administration of Dobresia retreated into the jungle.

On 10 March, the remaining Thornian Army forces in Thornia-proper launched an attack on Trabovonian-occupied Lakasa and pushed them all the way west where they managed to quickly recapture Dobrado within the same day. The exhausted Tsapansal forces that hid the jungles had joined the fight as part of the Thornian Army. Many were reported to have commented at their disatisfaction with the management of the Tsapansal Army, especially in regards to the Siege of Dobrado. The Dobresian government defected to the Kingdom of Thornia, proclaiming Dobresia to be Thornian, and recognising Trabonia and Travonnia as inherintly Thornian. The retreating Trabovonian and Sovereign Sons forces attempted to push south to liberate the prison camp in Trabonia, but were met by fierce resistance from the Thornian Army.

Raloff of Okthi and Diwad of Chamos began a procession of their followers from Okthi to Dobrado as part of a humanitarian mission to feed the hungry citizens of Dobrado with grain from the east. This procession is remembered as the Procession of Raloff.

The coalition convinced the Trabovonians imprisoned in Cataracta to defect to the coalition by convincing them that they would be paid for their services during the war before being discharged once hostilities were over. The newly combined force of Trabovonians and Umic troops were tasked with recapturing Travonnia.

On 11 March, the hungry and enraged veterans of the Battle for Dobresia and the Siege of Dobrado overthrew the Tsapansal government after a brawl at a tavern quickly grew into a widespread street battle across the main street of Petrodis. The Tsapansal Army installed an officer as the *Achalon* of Tsapansal. On the same day, coalition forces began a counter-offensive to push back the Trabovonian forces into Travonnia from the south.

By the morning of 12 March, Umic forces entered Travonnian territory and began raising the Thornian banner in liberated villages. By the late afternoon, Trabovonian central command was captured and surrendered, and the remaining mercenary forces also surrendered on the condition that they would be allowed to return to the Chen Empire. Simultaneous proclamations by coalition troops in Travonnia and Petrodis proclaimed the Thornian King as Emperor.

### Consolidation of power by the monarchy (12 March 2023 - 26 March 2023)

Victory celebrations on the streets of Palus, Petrodis, the garrisons of Ume, and the streets of many other settlements across the empire quickly turned against their regional governments, where celebrants-turned-protestors demanded the elevation of the King of Thornia to Emperor. In the early evening, the Crown of Thornia had reportedly begun the paperwork to restyle the monarch as the Emperor of All Thornia. Representatives from Palus, Ume, the Tsapansal Army, and Boravia were seen having individual private audiences with the King, supposedly in connection to the quickly-changing situation surrounding the status of the monarch.

The Boravian mission in Elysia put out a statement in front of their consulate proclaiming that Boravia had submitted to the rule of the Emperor. This was mere minutes before the Crown of Thornia pinned its own statement at the front of East Elysia House (the main royal residence in Elysia) proclaiming:

* The elevation of the King to Emperor.
* The renaming of the state from the Imperial Federation of Thornia to the Thornian Empire.
* The submission of the Thornian Army, Boravian government, the Tsapansal Army (which had taken control of the Tsapansal government only hours prior), Palus, Catarcta, and Ume.
* The removal of clauses relating to the Tsapansal in the Treaty of Petrodis and the reaffirmation of the liberties of the Boravians as per the same treaty.

It was reported that, prior to the announcement, Boravian forces stationed in Cataracta rioted in response to rumours of their government's inclination to submit to the new Emperor. Several coalition Travonnian, Umic, and Thornian troops were injured in the riots. Civil unrest did not spread beyond Cataracta, but led to the decision to ensure that a majority of the Bovarian forces would have no choice but to be stationed outside of Boravia during active service.

In the afternoon of 13 March, the Emperor held an impromptu secular inaugaration ceremony in the Old Chapel of Elysia. The war in Trabovonia, Dobresia, and Palusia was formally declared over during the ceremony. The final holdouts in Trabovonia and Dobresia surrendered throughout the 14th and 15th. The Procession of Raloff arrived in eastern Dobresia during these last few days of fighting. Though the hundreds of followers were not attacked during their journey, Raloff was killed at one of the last waystations controlled by the Sovereign Sons. Diwad of Chamos became the de facto head of the cult and continued the procession, with Raloff's body in tow.

On 16 March, the National Assembly of Tsapansal reconvened for the first time since the 11 March coup. Representatives from Dobresia were still allowed to participate in the assembly, despite many of them being sympathetic to the now-neutralised Sovereign Sons. None were arrested during the 11 March coup as they had no direct involvement with the rebel group. In fact, some of them were only sympathetic to them as a form of protest against the army for blockading innocent civilians (as well as themselves) within Dobrado. In a surprise move, the assembly overwhelmingly voted against re-integration with Thornia-proper with only the representatives from metropolitan Petrodis and the eastern villages voting in-favour of re-integration.

On 17 March, recently-demobilised army brigades from the eastern half of Tsapansal began returning to Dobresia in-droves without direct orders from the Achalon. The military government attempted to convince the eastern army brigades to return home, but many officers were met with accusations of inaction against the threat of a resurgence of the Sovereign Sons. Most of the National Assembly members from Dobresia were ambushed and assassinated en route to their return trip to Dobrado. The Thornian Army refused to intervene in the new crisis, seeing that they may not be welcome in the Tsapansal. However, the Achalon as well as moderate members of the National Assembly pleaded with the Thornians to stop disembarkments from Lakasa and Petrodis, and to restore peace in Dobresia. Thornian demobilisation was halted immediately later in the day after an intervention by the Emperor, allowing many Thornian brigades flowing back into Petrodis and also making their way across Dobresia.

The cult of Raloff is thought to have taken control of Dobrado after the town's Sovereign Sons affiliated leadership looted the city and went into hiding.

On 18 March, a network of Sovereign Sons sleeper agents was dismantled in Petrodis and Dobrado, including the former leadership of Dobrado. The Crown of Thornia legally took control of the governments of the Voranate of Petrodis (the Tsapansal), Kaplanate of Boravia, and Palus. Along with the Achalonate of Elysia, their autonomy was stripped and all executive authority was vested in the Lands of the Crown of Thornia, a new authority directly controlled by the Emperor. The Crown transferred control of Travonnia and Trabonia to the authority of Cataracta, and established a new authority known as the Lands of the Regency in Umia. The Crown awarded the region of Dobresia to what was now known as the Procession of Raloff, with Diwad as the first "Shepherd" (the position being named in honour of Raloff).

On 22 March, a conference was held between the administrations of the Lands of the Crown of Thornia and the Lands of the Regency in Umia to determine how to formally divide their responsibilities. The Regent of Umia was found dead shortly after a private audience with the Emperor. The Crown of Thornia issued a statement shortly afterwards announcing that the Regency in Umia had been dissolved with immediate effect. Conspiracy theories began circulating that the Regent wanted to attain the title of King, and to have even more autonomy whilst continuing to accept the Emperor as their feudal lord.

Between 23 and 24 March, the Boravian brigades in Cataracta rioted again in protest to imperial rule. The brigades from other regions present in the district were given orders to take no prisoners. Simultaneously, the Emperor ordered the Elysian brigades to occupy Boravia and Palus, thus quashing all remaining autonomous governments.

### Chen-Thornian War (26 March 2023 - 2 May 2023)

*See: Chen-Thornia War (March-May 2023)*

The Chen dynasty took advantage of the severely weakened state of the empire to launch a war to regain indirect control of Travonnia and Trabonia. This led to a series of offensives and counter-offensives that saw Thornia briefly lose control of the capital city of Palus and portions of the Trabonian coast. The Thornian Army experienced heavy personnel and material losses throughout the war. The war was saved from becoming a frozen conflict by the arrival of two newly created cavalry regiments, the Dobresian Highlanders Cavalry Regiment and the Aphthonic Cavalry Regiment, to the battlefield during the last offensive.

As a result of the final offensive, Thornia had come to occupy parts of the Dark Realm for the first time in its history. A majority of Xandu had also come under Thornian occupation once again. Xandu was briefly annexed into the empire during the war, but the Crown pledged to maintain it as a separate state as part of its promises for an end to the war to Chen Empire negotiators. By the end of the war, Xandu was almost completely depopulated. This has resulted in a wave of interest by Thornians to colonise the territory.

### Post-war period and the Elysia Declaration (3 May 2023 - Present)

The Thornian Army continued fighting an undeclared war within the Dark Realm of Han against various rebel groups. Miscommunication between Fort Han and Thornian Army command led to the withdrawal of Thornian forces on 9 May.

In the aftermath of the end of hostilities, public attention quickly turned to what the Crown and the provinces would do to handle food shortages, high unemployment, and various incomplete national projects. Unending tensions between the Umic provinces and the imperial government led to both sides negotiating a compromise settlement known as the Elysia Declaration. The declaration proclaimed the partial restoration of the League of Palus as a new, self-governing entity known simply as Palusia. Its territories include the cities of Palus and Catarcta, the provinces of Umia, Travonia, and Trabonia, and the territory of the Ironie Islands. The State of Xandu was to be dissolved and replaced by a new self-governing entity known as Zhongshan. The Emperor would henceforth cease to be Emperor of Thornia in Palusia and Zhongshan, and would thus become the King of Palusia and the Lord of Zhongshan (histographically marking the start of the Xiao dynasty in the histography of the wider Xandunese world). Goruid and Aphthonis would thus continue under direct imperial rule as part of the Crown Lands. Leaders of all three self-governing entities would thus form an Imperial Council which would advise the Crown on foreign policy and common economic directives.

#### Imperial Assembly, Imperial Customs Union, and Transitory Trade Authority

On 5 June, the Imperial Crown proclaimed the formation of the **Imperial Customs Union**, the **Transitory Trade Authority**, and a spate of new trade regulations that determine how the countries of the empire trade with the outside world. A new legislative body, the **Imperial Council**, would also be created to represent all citizens of the empire across country borders.

A *Temporary Internal Trade Permit* would be required to trade within the borders of the empire (the permit would apply to all countries of the empire, with exceptions varying over time). The **Imperial Customs Union (ICU)** would allow (citizen) providers of goods and services to perform their trade in all countries of the empire. However, individuals and companies registered within the empire would be prohibited from trading with the outside world unless a *Temporary External Trade Permit* is issued.

The **Transitory Trade Authority (TTA)** will be responsible for reviewing applications and issuing both internal and external trade permits. All international trade would be restricted to the border cities of Ume and Shanjing, with the TTA acting as a reseller to represent both internal and external traders to one-another. The TTA would also be allowed to mark up prices or subsidise prices as it sees fit.

The Imperial Council would be made up of 3 representatives from the Crown Lands, Palusia, and Zhongshan. In the absence of even one representative, the Imperial Crown would have full executive power and the council would not be called. The council will be responsible for electing a President for the ICU, and a Governor for the TTA. In place of a Trade Minister for each of the 3 countries of the empire, the Governor of the TTA would also have the position of *Trade Secretary for the Empire*. The President of the ICU would also have the position of *Internal Affairs Secretary for the Empire*.

#### Palusia Farmers' Revolt (June 2023)

Severe mismanagement of the food supply and economy in rural regions of Travonia and Trabonia by the autonomous Palusian government led to protests demanding that the government stop shipping too much of the rural food supply to the coastal cities. The Palusian government ignored the demands of the protestors and insisted that the food supply was in poor shape across the empire anyway.

The protests did not subside, and instead grew increasingly violent and coordinated. Thornian Army intelligence discovered runaway defeated Xandunese military officers having a heavy involvement in organising civil unrest in Travonia. The Palusian government was informed of the developments and yet denied requests by the Thornian Army to move troops into Palusia to quell the unrest. The Palusians began preparations to equip their law enforcement paramilitaries with seized Xandunese military equipment in preparation to quell the unrest themselves.

By the time the Palusian authorities were prepared, rural militias had already blockaded the southern end of the Cataracta canal and were threatening to cross the marshes to occupy Palus City. The Imperial Crown stepped in to offer local Travonian and Trabonian leaders the choice of becoming an autonomous state within the Thornian Empire or joining the Crown Lands provisionally. The leaders ultimately chose to join the Crown Lands as the Dependencies of Travonia and Trabonia.

Nonetheless, the Palusian government surrendered its Xandunese equipment in exchange for Thornian equipment and food supplies. The Thornian Army, Palusian paramilitaries, and the rural militias cooperated to apprehend the renegade Xandunese officers. The significant shrinkage of Palusia's responsible territory led to the renewed decentralisation of governance - no longer did the disinterested member districts of Palusia entrust the Cataractans to be solely responsible for governing the large territories of Travonia and Trabonia. Thornian Crown constitution legal experts helped to craft a new constitution for Palusia to effectively redistribute power. Palusia also formally adopted the name of the *Federated Districts of Palusia*.

On 26 June 2023, Travonia and Trabonia were combined into the new Country of the Bovinines, a self-sustaining country within the Crown Lands.

#### Veterans' Rebellion (July 2023 - Present)

*See: Veterans' Rebellion*

A large number of recently demobilised personnel across the Thornian Army were left angered by the political infighting between the nations of the empire. Many formed movements that regularly staged demonstrations at the borders with Palusia and Zhongshan, and in some cases even vandalised property supposedly belonging to Palusian and Zhongshan authorities. Aiwanist and Raloffian institutions were also regularly attacked as a form of protest against the autonomy of their respective private armies. Thornian authorities usually gave out fines against these veterans, fearing that their connections with active personnel may lead to an actual insurrection in the army if they gave out harsher punishments.

The conflict rapidly escalated when several of the veteran groups armed themselves and transformed into militias. An attempt to capture Cataracta in mid July 2023 was considered a signal by many of these militias to take control of various rural settlements. This led to the capture of Shanjing and the formation of the All-Thornia Republic in the west. In Goruid, ultra-nationalist groups within the Thornian Army captured most of the urbanised parts of the peninsula's north surrounding Elysia and formed a junta government. The Thornian Empire's forces were effectively tied on all fronts, preventing any major changes in territory from early August onward.

## Government

Thornia's imperial government is led by the **Imperial Crown**, of which the **Emperor** is its head. Its de facto legislature is the **Imperial Council**, which consists of representatives from the countries of the empire. Aside from the Imperial Crown, the **Trade** and **Internal Affairs** ministries are the only other formal government institutions. In parallel to the Imperial Crown are the **Imperial Customs Union**, whose President is elected by the Imperial Council and is also simultaneously the Internal Affairs Secretary; and the **Transitory Trade Authority**, whose Governer is also elected by the Imperial Council and is also simultaneously the Trade Secretary.

The Armed Forces of Thornia-Aphthonis (confusingly named so due to the prior history of Aphthonis being a country in its own right), are the military of the entire empire. The individual countries of the empire are not allowed to form their own militaries, paramilitaries, or militias. The armed forces are directly commanded by the Imperial Crown, though war could not be declared without the permission of the Imperial Council.

## Constituent states

### 16 May 2023 - Present

* **Crown Lands** **(Thalasia)**
	+ The Country of Goruid
	+ The Country of Aphthonis
	+ The Country of the Bovinines
	+ Dependency of Koralinisia
* **Federated Districts of Palusia**
	+ Palus
	+ Cataracta
	+ Ume
	+ Ironie Islands
* **Zhongshan**
	+ Beishan
	+ Nanshan

### 18 March 2023 - 16 May 2023

#### Lands of the Crown of Thornia

Territories ruled by the institution of the Crown of Thornia in accordance with some provisions of the final constitution of Great Thornia.

#### Democratically-ruled territories

Territories ruled through democratic representative governments or institutions.

### Crown territories

Territories ruled directly by the Crown of Thornia (effectively extra-constitutional territories ruled in the personal capacity of the Emperor), and not through the Lands of the Crown of Thornia nor in accordance with the final constitution of Great Thornia.

 Ironie Islands | N/A

### Before the 2023 Treaty of Petrodis, restored after the 12 March Proclamation

#### Leadership titles

* **Ezgeriet (Elected Autocrat)** - The leader of the Thornian empire overall. The Ezgeriet has imperium of the federation for a year, and a new Ezgeriet is elected in-between terms. Their powers are largely limited to foreign policy, but as in Ancient Ume it is not set in stone.
* **Voran (King or Grand Prince)** - The royal ruler of a region larger than a single province. The Voran is almost equivalent in rank to the Ezgeriet and may exercise some independence when it comes to foreign policy and military operations.
* **Patorius (Patron)** - The leader and patron of a republic (most often the city-state). The Patorius of the city-states are democratically elected by all the people of the empire. A Patorius of a city is then elected to the position of Ezgeriet. A leader of any state of the empire is allowed to run for office as the Patorius of a city. As of December 2022, the Patorius of either Palus or Ume would be the current Ezgeriet.
* **Achalon (Despot)** - The permanent dictatorial military leader of a province or region. The Achalon is a sovereign leader and may choose their own successors. The position is quasi-monarchial. The Achalons hold almost complete political power in their province or region.
* **Kaplan (Captain-General)** - The provisional military leader of a province or region. The Kaplan swears fealty to a neighbouring Achalon. In almost all cases, the Kaplan of a region tends to already be the Achalon of the neighbouring region. The Achalon has power to divide and combine their subject Kaplanate. A Kaplan usually only rules for a short period of time and may be rotated to rule other Kaplanates. A Kaplan is most often the commander of all military operations in the area in the event of an invasion, even though they are politically out-ranked by Achalons, Patoriuses, and Vorans. Kaplans may be appointed within an Achalonate to rule over a subdivision, though they cannot command military operations like Kaplans of separate regions.
* **Ovan (Commander)** - The provisional military leader of a fort, colony, district, or occupation zone. The Ovan may only be appointed by a Kaplan, and in the absence of an Ovan, the Kaplan rules over the district. Ovans may be appointed within Kaplanates that are within Achalonates.

### Proposed reorganisation in the 2023 Treaty of Petrodis

The Treaty of Petrodis redrew the internal borders of the Imperial Federation in recognition of the new regimes that had arisen in regions like the Tsapansal and Boravia. However, much of these agreed arrangements did not have the time to take full effect as the events surrounding the Travonnian Insurgency led to the overthrow of the Tsapansal government, the weakening of the city-state governments, and the dramatic rise in popularity of the Thornian Army and the Thornian royal family.

* Kingdom of Thornia
* Dominion of Tsapansal
* Dominion of Boravia
* Republic and City of Ume
* Republic and City of Palus
* Republic and City of Cataracta
* County of Travonnia (in union with the Kingdom of Thornia)
* County of Trabonia (in union with the Kingdom of Thornia)