Biraniya

The flag of Biraniya

Biraniya is the wealthiest nation on Matou, and is one of the three principal nations of Matou. Having recently emerged victorious from the Trancontinental War and reclaimed the Western Territories, Biraniya is in a period of rebuilding and jubilation. They are the custodians of the Jambook Archipelago, which functionally serves as a protectorate. Biraniya is a parliamentary democracy where organisations known as moeties hold significant sway over national politics.

## History

The name Biraniya literally means "Land under the Eastern Star". In the bronze age, the first thalassocratic city states formed in the region. Islands had their own regional identities, but shared religious rituals (known as Biranpan) and the Biraniyan writing system. Later in Biraniya's history came the "Sea Lord" period, which coincided with the period of raider kings such as Timo on the mainland. Pirate-kings began raiding other kingdoms as well as Lurtia, although these kingdoms always collapsed upon the death of the ruler. Cultural exchanges toned down in this period, as islands became more insular and built grand castles - many which can be seen today. The Sealords became a warrior class in their own right in this period, and became generals and landowners in the area. They were masters of sea raiding, and fought using large poleaxes, and have become a romantic image of the past.

Eitorikku, being safely nestled in the river and having the greatest castle of all the city-states, soon became a safe haven for intellectuals who feared the Sea Lord Period. The city's most illustrious ruler, Shisukka the Wise, formed the Seven Great Moeities which served as technocratic ministries run by his advisors and bureaucrats. This was in opposition to the Sealord system, with a stratified warrior class that ruled by violent force. The 871PK Contract of the Seven Moeities was signed, promising that in exchange for the ruler never interfering with internal moeity affairs, they would swear loyalty to Eitorikku and its royal rulers, and swear never to usurp them. Many Biraniyans consider this to be the first constitution of Biraniya, as it effectively allowed organisations that had internal elections to influence the running of government - even if this was in a limited and elitist way.

In 906PK, the petty kings of Biraniya grew tired of squabbling, and agreed to elect a Peacemaker in order to hold a transnational diet and arbitrate the disputes of the petty kings. This figure would be chosen from one of the national rulers and host the Transnational Diet every five years. Over time, however, peacemakers began to be used as pawns in the game of political football. The Eitorikkan wife of one these Peacemakers in 1111PK, known as Idiyo Amsanu, declared herself the "Great Lady", and used her husband's personal wealth to hire a mercenary army to subjugate the lords who attempted to scapegoat her husband in the period of great civil strife. She claimed that, because the lords had elected the Peacemaker to create peace, it was her duty as his regent to enforce it. On her deathbed without an heir, she suggested that the person who take her place be appointed the same way as the Peacemaker, but also be given the retinues granted to the Great Lady. The Elected Lord became the new highest position in Biraniya, and this allowed the nation to stabilise and focus on commerce. It also caused power to centralise in Eitorikku, as the retinues had been stored in the city by the Great Lady upon her death, and the city was able to impose over the other city states. However, the Moeities had their memberships opened up to members of other islands as a peace offering, and so the Moeities became a Biraniyan political curiosity.

This new stability led to the Biraniyan Golden Age, which saw huge strides in science, commerce, and culture. This also saw the development of the Biraniyan Monopolies, which informally colonised the nation and expelled all foreign traders and diplomats. The CEO of the Jambook Trade Board eventually became known as the governor of Jambook after the young king of the nation was forced to sign a treaty where the nation would be protected by Biraniya "in perpituity". Biraniyan shipbuilding and exploration became the envy of the world, and the Biraniyans became the first to circumnavigate the globe and reach both poles. However, with Lurtian industrialisation coming far before the Lurtian one, the Second Bellic War under the forces of King Hratolak III saw Biraniya lose their mainland territories. This was the end of the Biraniyan Golden Age, and the nation rapidly began industrialising, which saw them blossom into an economic powerhouse again over the generations

Infuriated by Biriyanan aid to the Republics as well as a lack of oil, it was decided that the oil platforms of the Eastern Ocean would need to be secured from Biriyana if the war were to continue. Redeploying their tanks and newly-built dreadnought fleet towards the east, Lurtia began a brutal and violent campaign in the Eastern Ocean. Despite initial successes, Biriyanan technologies of 360 radar and their meterological station and fortress island of Turu-Turu gave the Biriyanan fleet the advantage in the naval war. The Biriyanans were able to push the invaders back to sea, and after the decisive Battle of Semiago, the Lurtians realised their dreams of acquiring oil or achieving naval hegemony had been utterly crushed. However, Biraniya still provide aid to the Midland Republics, and seek for Lurtia to be cut down to size.

## Moeities

"To understand Biraniya, first you must learn its moeties"

Moeities are independent groups that were privileged by Shisukka the Wise, and have incredible sway over society. There is a subtle unspoken hierarchy in society based on how close you are to these moeties, and being part of a moeity entitles you to put an abbreviation in front of your name. Moeities are the modern incarnation of guilds, monopolies, and knighthood orders mixed into one. The organisations are generally incestuous and most of them (other than the university) only admit their own kind on careful appointment. Appointments to moeities make and break careers.

Fs. = Financial Society

Ss. = Scientific Society

Ya. = Yamasai University (the most highly-rated national university)

Mns. = Marine Society

Gs. = Geographical Society

Cas. = Cultural & Artistic Society

Fa. = Fashion Society

## Culture

Culture is extremely important in Biraniya - even in the era of mass production, the wealthy are expected to have tailored clothes, literary classics from a millenium ago remain relevant, and new mass-media provides new opportunities. The National Biraniyan News is the state broadcaster for all official news affairs, and Channel 1 is the state's media for cultural affairs. Biraniyan culture is seen as somewhat libertine, and allows homosexuality and gender non-conformity so long as individuals opt in to the economic systems of society. Women have the right to vote and serve in the military. The most popular hobbies are baseball, sailing, and gardening, which are seen as the core of national culture. Anime films and manga are also quite popular and nascent industries,

## Economy

Biraniya's economy centres around the merchant marine as well as its huge companies both at home and in Jambook. Asorima Motors, run by Ss. Baru Aoi, is one of the most popular brands.

Biraniya has a small social safety net, where children get free schooling until 16, pensions are available for the elderly, and there is a 10-hour work week. However, state healthcare is not free, and citizens must pay for care.

## Education

Historically, academies were all fee-paying schools which had vigorous vetting processes - most of it not academic. They were functionally only for people in families of moeties, or families of incredible means. They attracted the best philosophers in the nation, and were few in number. From ages 12-18, members of academies would follow strict guidelines to be moulded into the rulers of the future. However, 138 years ago, Biraniya was beset by left-wing Innovationist terrorism and significant strikes. One of their major gripes was how education - the ticket to class mobility - was occupied only by pseudo-nobility. "The Red Lord", the only Innovationist Elected Lord, began a sweeping change of education.

**There are three types of school after primary schooling:**

**Academies:** The 26 academies from before the law was past were granted a special status as part of the compromise. These are extremely prestigious institutions. They operate in a two-tier system, meaning there is no middle school. After the Schooling Reform Act, a maximum of 50% of students can be privates. Privates must be in at least the 75th percentile of exam takers, though a maximum of 5% of these are able to skip exams entirely with a letter of recommendation from the headmaster. Privates - except for some recommended by the headmaster - pay fees to attend the academy. The rest must be free students, who are admitted by what rank they got in the national exams. Realistically, most of these students are wealthy individuals who can afford private tutors and use "donations" to make the school act easily on them. Poor students are frequently ostracised. Only graduates from academies are usually accepted into universities.

**Middle & High:** Middle & High schools are for students who did not score well enough to enter an academy, but were still in the top 50% of students nationally. These schools are intended for the middle classes to learn literacy, numeracy, science, foreign languages, accounting, design, and more. A few high school graduates with exemplary grades may often be allowed to attend lesser universities.

**Base School:** Base school teaches enough literacy and maths for lower-qualified work, and teaches trades. Attending a base school is a surefire way to never be relevant in polite society. Universities and white-collar workplaces do not recognise a base school degree. Base school finishes at 15.

In middle-class small talk, it is common to ask "what school did you go to?". Other than moeity membership, it is the most obvious sign of social standing. It is considered a significant taboo to use casual language or slang around someone who has attended an academy when the speaker has not, unless the academy graduate has made it clear that casual language can be used.

## Politics

The head of state in Biraniya is the Elected Lord, which translates to something somewhat between "prime minister" and "elected king". Biraniya is a unicameralist system that is based on the Transnational Diet and the Peacemaker elections. However, instead of the historical feudal lords of the island selecting the Elected Lord, each island gets a number of seats in the Diet which are proportionally distributed. Parties will run candidates on the island, and on election day voters choose their ideal party. Seats are distributed between parties based on the votes, and the leading party is able to appoint a Prefect for the island. This is a ceremonial role for the local government of the island, and holds no real power.

There is currently a National Unity government as a result of the recent war, but it is likely to break apart. Below are the most popular parties:

**(GLD) Great Lady Democrats:** Great Lady Democrats are a liberal centre-left unitary party that seek to curb the powers of local islands, maintain the moeities, and strengthen central government. They are the spiritual successor of Idiyo Amsanu's faction that sought to make Eitorikku the most powerful city in Biraniya. Their goal is to empower corporations without letting them get more powerful than national government, to institute minor welfare safety nets, and to strengthen the Diet's supremacy over individual islands. They are also internationalist, looking to find allies against Lurtia

**(CU) Constitutional Union:** The Constitutional Union are a pro-moeity right-wing party that seeks to preserve the freedom of individual islands and to bolster corporate interests. They desperately seek to maintain the power of Biraniya over Jambook in their "One Nation, One Power" isolationist policy, wherein Jambook is an integral territory. It largely consists of elites who are deeply embedded in the moieties, and descends from noble factions and sealords during the Peacekeeper era. They believe that self-reliance is the key to wealth and peace.

**(CIP) Chigoka Innovation Party:** Originating on the island of Chigoka, Innovationism is a political philosophy seeking the dismantling of moeities, greater state welfare, and a fully proportional democratic system. A left-wing party, they are a huge driver for social welfare and local government. They also oppose the occupation of the Jambook Archipelago and push for its decolonisation.

**(BTP) Biraniyan Truth Party:** The Truth Party formed after the defeat in the Second Bellic War, and seeks to right the wrongs done to Biraniya by the Lurtians. They are a populist group that demand the militarisation of society, the destuction and dismantlement of the Lurtian empire, a democratic world order, and the end of rationing in Biraniya. They recently left the National Unity Party after the Biraniyan government "did not go far enough" in the peace treaty.

**(WOL) Western Ocean Loyalists:** The WOL demands equality for Westus, and autonomy for the Western Territories. Their belief is that Westus should not just feel safe in the Western Territories, but the rest of Biraniya as well.

Biraniyan elections work by giving different islands/territories a certain amount of representatives per island/territory, as well as the most popular party getting a regional representative (Prefect) should they get the most votes.

Eitoru Island: 29 representatives

Chou Island: 19 representatives

Chigoka Island: 17 representatives

Inazori Island: 15 representatives

Parou Island: 15 representatives

Tura-Tura: 4 representatives

Western Territories: 2 representatives

The National Anthem is as follows:

Bring forth to us auspicious winds of yore

Which bind our moeities in sacred peace

The ocean feeds and slays with its great maw

To it we pay our reverence and faith Elected Lord, we trust you with our souls

Auspicious winds, entrust us with your peace.