South Aphthonis

**South Aphthonis** is a region of Metropolitan Thornia in Great Thornia. Petrodis is the capital city of the republic and has significant economic and cultural influence over the country.

It borders Great Thornia to its south and has extensive economic, political, and military connections with the Province of Elysia via the Sabara Economic Zone. It borders the Sea of Temples to its north, and it holds claims over the North Aphthonis peninsula and the islands within the Sea of Temples.

It encompasses all four of the southern provinces - the Province of Petrodis, the Province of Dobresia, the Province of Chamos, and the Galinisian Islands.

## South Aphthonis

Banner of the regional government of South Aphthonis

### Founding

In early April 2022, the Aphthonic government decided to merge the administrations of the provinces into larger regions. The Province of Petrodis had by then almost completely taken over the administrations of Dobrado and Chamos. As such, the new South Aphthonis region government was really just a continuation of the Province of Petrodis.

### Economic boom and the Third Great Survey (early April 2022 to mid April 2022)

The new South Aphthonic government oversaw an extreme and rapid rise of wealth in the southern settlements as a result of overwhelmingly successful investments in mining operations. The adjoining of South Aphthonis' economy with that of the Province of Elysia also encouraged internal trade between both regions. Immense redstone supplies and pre-manufactured rail recovered from abandoned mineshafts helped to bring the Great Thornia Metro project back to life. Meanwhile, South Aphthonis benefitted greatly from large supplies of lapis lazuli, dark oak saplings (which are considered highly-valuable, high-yield trees), and even urban planning knowledge.

In mid-April, the regional government initiated the "Third Great Survey" in Aphthonis' history. Unlike previous survey missions, this current mission involves shorter-range, smaller missions with specific objectives in re-analysing the region's geography. On 15 April it was discovered that some of the tallest mountains in the world were in the border lands between the provinces of Petrodis and Chamos, and that a small jungle biome existed immediately north of it. Forests were also discovered in the area, meaning that the assumption that the only forests in the country were in the far east were completely wrong.

### Leader

Clarence*President of the Republic of Aphthonis*

On 16 April 2022, it was discovered that much of what was thought to be North Aphthonis was actually an ocean (known as the *Sea of Temples*; thanks to the new terrain generation of Minecraft 1.18). This triggered a massive political and military crisis as the rationale for Aphthonis' massive land claims was the lack of an ocean as a natural defensive barrier for the more-populated south.

The discovery of this new ocean forced the Aphthonic government to order the withdrawal of the Volovna Brigade from the slither of territory (that bridges South Aphthonis with North Aphthonis and Smarna/West Aphthonis) it actually controlled surrounding the International Jungle Zone. The Aphthonic government also decided to begin integrating its administration with that of South Aphthonis in recognition of the new reality. The regional and occupation administrations of North Aphthonis and Smarna, respectively, were formally disbanded.

The civil land administration of Great Thornia had proposed for South Aphthonis to join as a province, but this proposal was rejected on the belief that the region could eventually be treated like the Province of Porta (effectively a second-class province). The Reformist Party offered an alternative solution, which was to unify South Aphthonis and the Province of Elysia into a new entity known as the Autonomous United Districts. Both governments have been much more responsive to this solution as it would mean that all of the wealthiest settlements in Thornia-Aphthonis would be united under one de jure government for the first time since early Thornian colonisation. The Aphthonic government ultimately rejected this proposal as well and has since chosen to remain an autonomous republic within Thornia-Aphthonis.

Between 20 and 23 April, the city of Petrodis faced 18 massive waves of attacks by pillager forces. The Volovna Brigade and the city's iron golem patrols managed to repel all attacks and keep villager deaths to a minimum. The Aphthonic government has since declared martial law and has prepared for an assault on all known pillager outposts in Dobresia and provincial Petrodis. The Province of Elysia in Great Thornia has also begun making preparations for assaults on pillager outposts in its own territories. This has been considered to be the start of the Third Pillager War, and the first during the Thornia-Aphthonis era.

On 24 April, a survey mission on the eastern edge of the Sabara Sea uncovers that the village of Meros (in the Province of Chamos) is in fact surrounded by the Sabara Sea to its south and a previously unknown sea to its north. The village in fact sits on a peninsula. The realisation that there are no vast plains to the north of Chamos and Meros has more or less meant that the Province of Chamos is drastically smaller than previously thought too. Another survey around the Sea of Temples uncovered that it is an enclosed sea. The government of South Aphthonis restarted negotiations with the Province of Elysia and Great Thornia to discuss joining Great Thornia proper once again either as a large district within the Province of Elysia (giving Elysia its third district with a large city), or as a province.

### As a region of Metropolitan Thornia (24 April 2022 - Present)

South Aphthonis was formally annexed by Great Thornia on 24 April 2022. The central government dissolved the governments of South Aphthonis and the Province of Elysia, and a new body was formed to handle the administration of the two regions - Metropolitan Thornia Commission.

## Economy

The mining and timber industries dominate the South Aphthonic economy. Sand, coal, and iron make up the bulk of the region's exports (mostly to the Province of Elysia). Despite having almost no forests, aside from some on the fringes of the Province of Chamos, the savannah surrounding Petrodis has been able to grow large spruce trees and natural acacia trees.

## Administrative divisions

South Aphthonis is made up of four provinces that stretch across the entire southern coastline of Aphthonis. None really have any political autonomy.

 Galinisian Islands | Foliazo | Comprises the 3 larger Galinisian islands and the 3 smaller Trianisian islands.

## Symbols

The government of South Aphthonis uses a tri-colour banner of green, purple, and yellow. The green colour represents the plains and forests of the Province of Chamos; purple represents the wealth and mercantile culture of the Province of Petrodis; yellow represents the desert environment of the Province of Dobrado. Galinisia is the only province not represented on the banner, as the islands have historically not been culturally linked with Aphthonis.