Arailaz

"**Arailaz**", plural "**Arailaso**", is the name used for the various countries who broke away from the Sarmelonid Empire and adopted its culture. The word means "the new lands", referring to their rebirth and succession of the Sarmelonid realm.

## History

Emperor Maudolinnir once waged a great war to annex all of Jerde under his rule, but his wars against Darros and Esami ended in failure. His armies brought many slaves and prisoners of war to toil in mines and factories. Instead, as the empire grew weak and chaotic, the slaves revolted and founded their own countries and civilisations. With whatever they could plunder from the Sarmelonid rulers, they were able to resist and expel the Kyrvotin invaders.

The Sarmelonid rulers forced them to adopt the imperial culture, but it was only during the revolutions when the enslaved peoples willingly dressed themselves as Sarmelonids. They mostly did it to mock their oppressors, by claiming that the Sarmelonid Empire dishonoured the very gods they worshipped, so the gods instead helped the rebels as instruments of holy punishment. Elements of Sarmelonid culture continued, for the rebel states to claim themselves as the worthier successors of the bygone empire.

The Arailaz's members were notable for expeditions against various Vozonid nobles, accused of attempting to establish a new Terran Empire in western Vozolaz. They and the Sarmelonid Empire engaged in a war to defeat the western warlords, responding to hundreds of calls by the natives who also attempted to overthrow the warlords, resulting in those lands being divided between protectorates, independent states, and annexed parts into the Vozonid Empire. The various powers and the natives had a treaty that made the many enclaves vote on whether to join the independent states, become Vozonid subjects, or subjects of the protectorates.

## Original Arailaz

The original "Arailaz" was an alliance of former colonies who supported each other, to rebuild the world from the ruin of the Kyrvotin Invasion.

* Bujan
* Irajon
* Siangwaan
* Pevares
	+ Pevares is a nation west of Honvo made of Tuksharans. They revolted against Sarmelonid slavery, and later against the Tornarin Empire.
	+ Scientific projects and dances are Pevarin traditions.
* Honvo
	+ Honvo is made of Omayeran prisoners of war, who revolted to create their own monarchy and republic. In 1956 their nation was affected by a war between the Tornarins, Arantarese, and Azgovians, but the Omayerans and Rabydosians helped the free Honvonians expel the three invading armies. The failure to conquer Honvo led to the collapse of the regimes ruling over Arantar and Azgo.
	+ Emperor Zaighoroz is seen as a hero, although he was not from Honvo's location, and he is not worshipped as a god. His stern but wise rule over Vozolaz is used as a role model for young people there, not to boast about superiority, but to promote fair treatment of all people.
	+ Honvonian traditions include carpentry and architecture.
* Ashostrana
	+ The name literally means "Land of Fire".
	+ When it was founded, it was known as Movarion or Movaria, the "Land of Speech". The original territory of the rebels consisted of present-day Nevkreno.
	+ After the revolts spread to the other Slavic prisoners of war, Ashostrana was founded as a confederacy of kingdoms. One of the kingdoms west of Narivo was the birthplace and home of Koschei the Red, founder of the Bujanski Slavs.
	+ The west and northwest are revolting against Tornarin rule.
* Narivo
* Nevkreno
	+ Sarmelonid is still used as a classical language there, even in the government.
* Sevestrana
* Bivos
* Nochistrana
	+ The name literally means "Land of Night".
	+ Other Slavic prisoners of war were taken there, but when the empire weakened, the Nochistranian Slavs revolted and became an independent republic. They were possibly the northernmost Sarmelonid territory on the continent of Palkyras.
	+ Even under Tornarin rule, the Nochistranians are divided between puppet states of the Tornarin imperial rulers, and fortified independent enclaves recognised by nearly every other country. The Nochistranians are also fervent allies of the New Republics, a technologically-advanced federation of Norse states.
	+ Some of these enclaves also aided the Bujanski, the Gimbarsians, and Arkolans (south of Marnos) against their oppressors.
* Western Protectorates, the Dansikau
	+ The various enclaves that joined the Arailaz's member states. The Arailaz decided that the enclaves ultimately choose which member to join, rather than force any enclave.
	+ Some of the enclaves' citizens called themselves "Dansikaz", after a city in Terran history that was almost protected by a greater power. It resulted in all of those cities being known as "Dansikau", to differentiate themselves from the Western Alliance.
* Western Alliance, Zmarataksaz
	+ The alliance of independent nations that overthrew the warlords, forming a federation. It is located in what is now Exar in the Tornarin Empire, south of the emergent country of Nochistrana.
	+ Its people are natives, Slavs, and Vozonids; yet its official language was Sarmelonid.

## Other territories formerly under Sarmelonid rule, but not adopting Sarmelonid customs

* Republic of Ingdahan
	+ Peren
	+ Varn Venn
	+ Sronon
* Iral
* Iruwasa
* Vocersia
* Rabydos
	+ Formerly a federation of Kekhaulid states who fortified themselves against Sarmelonid rule.
* Rubeschrand (Volzeraen)
	+ They and the Kekhaulid natives fiercely rejected the Sarmelonid imperial yoke.

The alliance's supporters included the mighty realms of Iozae and Rukania, who wanted a counterbalance against Sarmelonid global domination by using the empire's former colonies. So in a sense, this also follows the Denlotian goal of the world being managed by regional alliances, rather than one or more superpowers.

## Later Sarmelonised nations

These countries are also called "Arailaz" because they adopted Sarmelonid culture.

* Shaunetor
	+ Founded by Vozonids as a shelter for all people who are not male or female.
* Tjaunorja
* Porashon
	+ Founded by Ontemazei who revolted against their creators during the Green Years, as a Sarmelonised society.
* Turodaron
	+ Ethnic Slavs who lived in Porashon and chose to follow the local Sarmelonid revival when they joined a local revolt.
* New Irajon
	+ Together with the Burrow-city duchies, they sought to realise their Sarmelonised heritage as successors.

## Sarmelonid names

### True Arailaz

* Bujan - Bujan
* Irajon - Īrajon
* Siangwaan - Sjanowandaz
* Bivos - Byppoz
* Nevkreno - Niwakrænaz

### Later Sarmelonised nations

* Porashon - Pōrašaunaz
* Turodaron - Tūrodaron
* Josol - Glysolaz

### Vozonid nations that are not Sarmelonid

* Gornystar - Gornystaraz
* Azgo - Zauqjoroz

## Trivia

* Some of the founders of Arailaz countries venerated the Sixteen Paladins, warriors who fought with Sarmelon I against demons and who were raised as protector gods of Vozonid regions.
	+ For example, Zio Do of Siangwaan and the Ingdahan Sakautaris called upon Kaidolan to punish the Sarmelonids, while the Wonaos and their ally Koschei worshipped Kjazolan as the one who drove them to drive out Sarmelonid rule.
	+ The founders of Nevkreno and Porashon consecrated their realm to Joltovoi.
* They explained that in breaking away from Sarmelonid rule, they were acting on the will of the same gods of the Sarmelonids, by being the gods' instruments of punishment. However, their adoption of Sarmelonid culture was not done as a tribute to those sixteen regional gods.

## See also

* Sarmelonid language
* Sarmelonid pantheon