Aratnalli

The **Aratnalli Empire** was a maritime power in the Morning Gulf situated on the Leytaan Archipelago. At its height it controlled all of southwest Tuktalli and parts of Eastern Teutalli. The empire was renound for its progressive republican system of government which allowed its citizens to elect local governors known as hafans. The empire spread the religion of Eedhataism across the Morning Gulf during its expansion.

## Aratnalli Empire

The Aratnalli Empire (in red), at its greatest extent

## Government

There are two public offices in Aratnalli: the Hogs, who govern the provinces known as Hogirah, and the Hafans, an assembly of 6 representatives from each tribe with the power to pass, amend and repeal laws. Hogs and Hafans are elected in local elections, but only those of the Nashirri nobility are allowed to run for public office. Everyone in the republic is eligible to vote in Hog elections, but only those of the Nashirri ruling class may vote for Hafans. The Hafans in turn elect one of the Hogs to become the Hoggora, the head of state and chief executive of the Republic.

## History

### Early History

The Leytaan archipelago is comprised of two main islands: the much larger Shuhiei island, and the eastern Tukhiei island. Historically three tribes have lived on the islands: The Leytaani tribe, for which the archipelago and city get their namesake, indigenous to the southern Shuhiei. The Khaeni tribe, the original tribe of Eedhata, indigenous to Tukhiei, and the Gretheni tribe, indigenous to northern Shuhiei. The Great Sage Eedhata unified the three tribes 3,200 years before The Fall. The islands has long been host to perpetual wars of religion. Eedhata, a merchant, traveled across the Morning Gulf and encountered numerous cultures and religions along the way. He noticed the similarities between the deities of various religions. That’s when he had an epiphany: all these deities are simply different aspects through which the one true god, Khaen, has revealed himself to other cultures. All temples, sacraments and religious texts were revered by Eedhata as pieces of a larger narrative, for which no one Birrin, including himself, could know.
When he returned home from his journeys, he preached his newfound religion across the Leytaan archipelago. With the majority of the islanders won over by his preaching, the warring kingdoms laid down their arms. Eventually, the chieftains of the three tribes came to an agreement resulting in the formation of the confederacy. This new government became known as the Aratnalli, meaning the united peoples.

### Republic Era

The Aratnalli Confederation was nearing its end as a plague saw the three chieftains begin to fend for themselves. Oem the Conqueror from the Leytaani tribe successfully unified the archipelago in 3190, establishing a federal government and abolishing the chieftainships. This republican style of government saw representatives from the three tribes be elected by the people.
The 3100s saw the rise of Ahalinism across the Morning Gulf, and Aratnalli was no exception. As Eedhataism sought the knowledge and wisdom of other faiths, Ahalinist traditions and ideas began to diffuse into Eedhataism’s school of thought. Ahalinism became especially popular in Tukhiei, and several shrines dedicated to Ahalinist deities can still be found here. The inclusion of various faiths threatened to eradicate Eedhataism, and divide the island once again. In 3070 a great revival of Eedhataism dispelled any fears of separatism.
In 3130 the Aratnalli began to expand outside their surroundings, establishing the port city of Fahataan on the Long Walk isthmus. The city was in a prime location, as it was the intersection of the Cresting Sea and Morning Gulf trading routes, with all intermarium trade going through the city. This generated immense wealth for the Aratnalli, and also saw various sailors be converted to Eedhataism, spreading the faith to their homelands. This marked a golden age in the Aratnalli civilization.

In 3130 the Aratnalli began to expand outside their surroundings, establishing the port city of Fahataan on the Long Walk isthmus. The city was in a prime location, as it was the intersection of the Cresting Sea and Morning Gulf trading routes, with all intermarium trade going through the city. This generated immense wealth for the Aratnalli, and also saw various sailors be converted to Eedhataism, spreading the faith to their homelands. This marked a golden age in the Aratnalli civilization.
The Aratnalli joined a military alliance known as the Trinity League, to come to the aid of any of its members if attacked. In 3110 the Navirrin declared war on the Zutelli, and the Aratnalli were dragged into the conflict. The Aratnalli came to the aid of the Navirrin in the Battle of Kaybor from 3110-3090. Some of Aratnalli’s fishing settlements on the coast of continent were raided and enslaved by the Ksohdeni horde allied to the zutelli at this time. The enslavement of Aratnalli villagers rightfully appalled the Republic, who promptly laid siege to their cities, eradicating the Horde from the map. With attention directed at the war against the Ksohdeni, the Aratnalli neglected their prized city of Fahataan. The city was captured by the Orosani in 3050, and before the Aratnalli could retaliate the Trinity League and Long Walk alliances agreed to an armistice. The frontlines became the new official borders of all parties involved in the Great Gulf War. On one hand, the Aratnalli Republic had nearly tripled in size, but on the downsize they has lost the city which provided them with their economic power, and a strong disdain for the Orosani grew in the hearts of the Aratnalli.

Nearly 50 years after the Great Gulf War, the nation of Ruuarori, which had been a formidable ally to the Trinity League, fragmented into warring city-states. The territorial ambitions of neighboring empires saw their acquisition of former Ruuarori lands. When the Orosani invaded L'Arubukrah in 3110, the Aratnalli condemned the violence as an unprovoked invasion, and intervened on the city state's behalf. In reality, the Aratnalli were only interested in liberated the city of Fahataan which they lost to the Orosani in the war years ago.
The Aratnalli overwhelmed the Orosani at the Battle of Fahataan, capturing the city in year 3000. Despite the high of victory, Hoggora Bomani negotiated to hand over the prized city to their ally the Kantelli in exchange for 100,000 mercenaries. Despite the controversy, this proved a vital alliance in overthrowing the Taanasa Empire. A Taanasa spy named Oklymis disguised himself as a Nashiri Noble, eventually rising to the rank of Hafan, and then elected to Hoggora in 3077. He declared himself Hoggora for life, and signed into law legislation that banned Khaen worship and permitted only Ahalinist to run for political office. His goons known as the Ervidii, or Green Guards, terrorized anyone who opposed him and also bullied the Hafans to enact legislation furthering Oklimis' agenda.In 3070, the Aratnalli's longtime ally the Kantelli assassinated Hoggora Oklymis which instigated a revolution. The Ervidii were deposed and elections were restored, electing Hoggora Chojeer. He repealed the bans of religion made by Oklymis, but did not advance the liberties of the common Nalli class as the rebels had hoped for. The Kantelli and Aratnalli agreed to partition the Taanasa Empire north and south, divided by an imaginary line called the Uyrf Diagonal. The Aratnalli had lost their southern holdings, as well as Fahataan, but gained the much larger Eastern Lands of the Oroasa and Taanasa Empires.

### Empire Era:

In 3066 a Taanasa terrorist assassinated Hoggora Chojeer. His second-in-command Qoen assumes the office of Hoggora. Because those of the common (Nalli) class cannot run to become Hoggora, Qoen’s succession made him the first of the Nalli Hoggora in history. The Hafans feared that Hoggora Qoen may use his powers to upset the social order, and they plotted to assasinate him. The outrage of the assassination led to a what is known as the Black Arch Rebellion. The Hafans, with knifes by their throats, unanimously elect the leader of the rebellion, Rache, to the Hoggora. They then enact a law to permit all classes the right to vote in elections. He renames his office to Nallingora, meaning the People’s Chosen. These new reforms under the Rache administration granted citizenship to all born on imperial soil. Now any Aratnalli citizen was eligible to vote and run for head-of-state, renamed to Nallingora, meaning Supreme Person.