Escaria

*Not to be confused with Ascaria.*

Escaria is a country within the Nesarian Empire known for being populated almost exclusively by Harpies. It has no head of state, as the system of government is confederal and fundamentally based upon the notion that no state in the union is above any others. Its national animal is the Redcrest. It is the only Imperial country besides Saveria (which is coincidentally also the only other archipelago) to have a national fruit, which is the Golden Olive.

Escaria is situated at the far north of Inecuria, primarily situated upon the Harpy Islands (Nesarian: *Aradnu Jene*), though a small section of it lies upon the Inecurian mainland, bordering Calsunaria. These islands have a hot climate, but they receive consistent cool and humid winds which ensures that the islands are not arid. The soil in Escaria is poor for most crops, but the highly productive waters surrounding the islands provide the inhabitants with plentiful fish, and the particular nutrient content in the soil - which may, as some speculate, have magical assistance - is ideal for growing the country's famous Golden Olives.

## Name

The name of Escaria is the Nesarian corruption of the native name of *Eske Karaa*, which translates as "Harpy Land" or "Land of Harpies". It is unrelated to the similar-sounding name of Ascaria, a place in Nesaria which holds the capital of Capera.

## Government

Whilst some other states of the Empire have a decentralised or federal structure, Escaria is unique among them in that it is a confederacy of distinct states, with a structure inherited from the ancient Harpy League and most likely also inspired by the Confederation of Aukan in Rulcaria. The country has no head of state or government, instead being governed by the Feathered Council, which is made up of representatives from every state in the union, none of which is higher than the other in legal authority - though, of course, those from the larger and more populated states are able to exert greater political pressure.

How the confederacy functions is laid out by a strict and entrenched constitution, but how each state in the union governs itself is determined solely by that state and no higher authority. As such, there is considerable variance in how each state functions. Some are republics, others are monarchies; some have direct democracy, others have no democracy at all. Economic policy is also decided by the states and not the confederal government, but in practice all the states agree to loosely follow the same economic policies in the interest of efficiency and standardisation. Some public services (such as education and utilities) are handled by the individual states, whereas others (such as healthcare) are collectively funded and managed and operate across the entire confederacy.

Although the states in the union maintain the perpetual right of secession, secession from the union does not entail secession from the Nesarian Empire; whilst seceding from the confederacy is legal, seceding from the Empire is not, and would be met with military force if it ever occurred. This would mean that any state which decides to secede from the union would become a separate state within the Empire, distinct from Escaria but not outside of Imperial rule.