The United Angirisian Federation

[Aerandariel]

The Nations of the United Angirisian Federation

Angiris

The Angirisians are one of the three founding nations of the United Angirisian Federation, and it is after them that the Federation is named. They are an industrious and pragmatic society, and many Angirisians are found in the diplomatic and bureaucratic corps. Hailing from the city of Tristram, which is also the Federation capital, the Angirisians built a prosperous society based on trade and industry and quickly grew into a major commercial power on the west side of the Mira Mountains. Their diplomatic prowess allowed for the absorption of the Athelonian city-states in the northern Angirisian Peninsula and the Aiurian civilization on the Isle of Adun. It is unknown when they made first contact with the Romulan Empire and the cities of the Solhaven region, but it is known that a brief armed conflict arose between the Angirisians and Romulans that resulted in the destruction of several of the Athelonian city-states as well as giving the Romulans an excuse to subjugate the Reman population along the Angirisian-Romulan border as conscripts for the Romulan Army. After the fighting stopped, a working partnership developed between the three powers and eventually the Federation was formed between the Solhavenites, Romulans and Angirisians.

Angiris Prime, as it is now known, is the richest of the three main regions, the most politically powerful and the most populous. Because the seat of government and much of the economy is driven through Angiris Prime, some of the other nations in the Federation look at it with envy. It was because of such power that the other nations sought to build a check on Angiris Prime's dominance which led to the creation of the Federation Council. Angiris Prime's seat is Tristram, which also serves as the capital city of the United Angirisian Federation.

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Aiuria

The Aiurians are the only members of the Federation not living on the mainland, and have occupied what is known as the Isle of Adun for several centuries. A fiercely proud and spiritual people, the Aiurians at one time sought to stop at nothing to defend their homeland from mainland invaders, and this attitude as carried down through the generations. Many Aiurians fight in the military, and some of the highest ranking commanders in the service hail from the Isle of Adun. However, it is not uncommon as well to find Aiurians among the clergy or in educational circles as theologians. Their home city is Aiur, which is now the single-largest city in the entire Federation. Their first major outside contact was with the Athelonian city-states and the Angirisians from Tristram, both of whom the Aiurians were initially hostile with. However, as time passed and thanks to the smooth-talking diplomats of Angiris as well as the pacification of the more nationalist Athelonian lords, the Aiurians joined in a loose partnership with the two peninsular nations. When armed conflict broke out with the Romulan Empire, many Aiurians sailed to the mainland to join the fight and it is believed that Aiurian warriors were largely responsible for the eventual stalemate with the Romulans. The fighting spirit of the Aiurians was cited as one of the reasons by the Romulans for their hopes never to fight the Angirisians again; it was sign that the Romulans greatly respected Aiurians' ability to stand and fight. It was largely with the backing of the Aiurian militias, who formed the beginnings of the Federation Army, that the United Angirisian Federation was born.

The Isle of Adun, or Aiuria as it is called by outsiders, is largely dominated by the vast city of Aiur, whose infrastructure largely covers the island. Much of the imports coming into the Federation have to come through the ports of Aiur before making it to the Federation mainland, making Aiur one of the busiest seaports on the planet. The fighting spirit of the Aiurian people, as well as their pious nature, has earned them a mountain of respect from their Federation peers. It is for this reason most government officials defer to Aiurian military scholars on matters of warfare and military development. But all is not warfare on the Isle of Adun. Aiur has enjoyed a reputation as being one of the elite religious cities in the world, thanks to its many seminaries and temples, giving more pacifistic-minded Aiurians a different philosophy on life.

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Athelon

For the Athelonian people of the northern Angirisian peninsula, honor, respect and family is more important than wealth or power. Though they are some of the most hard-working people in the Federation, Athelonians have never been especially wealthy. Highly creative and adaptable, the Athelonians are often laborers, artisans or engineers. There are, however, a few Athelonians who have been able to break out and make it big, often returning home to share their gains with family. Hailing from the city of Athelon, these industrious people built a network of city-states that centered on bartering for many generations. It was the Athelonians who built some of the first great machines eventually adapted by other nations across the world with their own designs and uses. The city-states first met the Angirisians in the southern end of the peninsula and shared with them their system of bartering, while the Angirisians showed the Athelonians the virtue of trade with the outside world as an extension of not just their artisanal prowess but their power and influence through wealth. Though the Athelonians largely rejected material gain in favor of self-respect and honor, their network would be taken over by the Angirisians and later the Aiurians through a partnership that lasted for several years. However, the Athelonian society was savaged during the war between the Angirisian allies and the Romulan Empire. Many of the city-states were decimated, and it took a combined effort of Athelonian partisans, Aiurian warriors and Angirisian diplomatic efforts to ward off the Romulans and at least achieve a stalemate. Despite the loss of so much of its former glory, the Athelonians rebuilt their cities and recaptured a portion of their lost glory.

Even without a military background like the Aiurians or a strong trading background like the Angirisians, the Athelonians are widely respected for their technical skill and hard work ethic. Much of Athelon's goods are exported, which would theoretically make the region a very wealthy land. However, because of their lack of interest in material gain and the intent to use their mechanical prowess for the good of the entire Federation, a lot of Athelonians live just within their means and some even work themselves into poverty, leading to higher rates of health issues among the Athelonians. But despite that, Athelon boasts one of the most orderly societies in the entire country, only reaffirming their long held belief in honor, respect and family.

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Romulus

The Romulans were the only people that had an established empire prior to the formation of the Federation. Though it is not exactly known how old the Romulan civilization is, what is known is that the Romulan Empire predated the Federation by at least three centuries. Because of their already established civilization, the Romulans are perhaps the most well-rounded society of all of the Federation nations and has a more old-fashioned approach to issues facing them, which has gotten them in trouble with the other member nations in the past. The Romulans are perhaps the most scientifically-inclined people in the Federation, and also the most secular despite a vibrant spiritual past. Some of the most famous Romulans of the last century have been scientists or explorers, but they have their fair share of military, political and cultural leaders. The Romulans hail from the great city of Romulus, at one time believed to have been the largest metropolis in the world. Very early on in their history, the Romulans conquered the neighboring Reman tribes, and subjugated them into slavery and oppression. Thus the town of Remus, only a few miles away from Romulus itself, became heavily impoverished while Romulus flourished. Largely on the backs of the Remans and other conquered peoples, the Romulans established a sizable empire in the central part of Eperos. It is thought that the Romulans came into contact with the civilizations of eastern Eperos before discovering the Angirisians, Athelonians and Aiurians, and that some parts of Romulan culture may have had some minute influence on the development of Eastern Eperosan culture; whether or not that was true is a point of some debate. The Romulans, seeing the possibility of a considerable strategic advantage of holding the Angirisian Peninsula, deliberately started a war with the Angirisians and their Athelonian and Aiurian allies. Though the war ended in stalemate, the Romulan armies nearly destroyed the Athelonians, battered the Angirisians by nearly cut off their trading network, and fought the warrior Aiurians to a standstill. The fact that the Romulan Empire could not conquer the three nations surprised nearly everyone, and it forced the Romulans to retool their policy toward their neighbors. The end result was a cooling of relations between the Romulans and their western neighbors and eventually formed a friendship that evolved into an alliance. This alliance with the Angirisians, Aiurians and Athelonians, combined with the entry of the Solhavenites in the West into the fold brought about the necessary chain of events that formed the United Angirisian Federation.

Because of their history, the Romulans are considered brilliant researchers and great philosophers. However, despite the modern Romulans' focus on science, they are still capable of marshalling immense force to defend themselves and the Federation. They have a relatively average standard of living, and one of the more stable economies of the entire Federation. Because of their imperial past, some Romulans are a bit stereotypical and xenophobic, but even that has cooled in recent years. None doubt the power of the Romulans; they may be without an Empire now, but they are still one of the most respected societies in the world.

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Enceladus

The Enceladans controlled a territory that encompassed much of the northern third of what is now known as Solhaven before the days of the Federation. A lush region, Enceladus is considered one of the most eco-friendly cities in the Federation and their balance of human progress with ecological health is a model for other Federation nations and foreign powers around the world to look to. The Enceladan civilization never grew to dominate the Solhaven region like the Hyperians did, but they still held significant political sway. Hyperion and Enceladus fought six wars over the course of time, with Hyperion winning three, Enceladus winning two and the sixth and final one was a stalemate. The reason for these wars was due to Hyperion's insistence at unifying the Solhavenite cities into a confederacy that could stand tall against the growing power of Tristram, Athelon and Aiur in the south and the might of the Romulan Empire in the east. Enceladus wanted nothing to do with a confederacy and resisted. The Enceladans suffered badly in the first three conflicts, but were never conquered and was able to turn things around in the final three including inflicting nearly 20,000 casualties on the Hyperians at the Battle of the Veridian Pass in the southern fringe of Enceladan territory - one of the biggest bloodbaths in western Eperosan history. Had it not been for the sudden rise of the small city of Mimas, a seventh war could have been fought, but the Mimans managed to bridge the gap between the Enceladans and Hyperians before more fighting could break out. Though a confederacy never formed, the Solhavenite states did form a loose defensive alliance that would protect one another from enemy incursions from the east. The alliance stood for fifty years, before the creation of the United Angirisian Federation. Enceladus, much like it did against Hyperion, initially tried to resist but it acquiesced after calling for a reform to the structure of the Federation Parliament ensuring all regions had an equal voice in the Federation Council - this clause is often called the "Enceladan Compromise".

As the most ecologically sound city in the Federation, Enceladus is also rather pacifist in nature. Though disinterested in politics and war, Enceladans are naturalists or dabble in medicine, usually as doctors or nurses. The Enceladans also make extensive use of alternative fuel sources, such as solar, wind and hydroelectric, and thus has the lowest carbon footprint of any nation in the Federation. Much of their "Green" technology is considered cutting-edge by their peers, and thus Enceladans seem to enjoy a better standard of living than most other Federation citizens.

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Mimas

Mimas is young by Federation standards, being barely more than 70 years old as a municipality and only 50 years as a territory-holding city-state. But in that short history, Mimas managed to stop decades of warfare in the Solhaven region, form a loose defensive alliance of all the Solhavenite cities, and helped build the foundations of the United Angirisian Federation itself. Located in the northern fringe of the Solhaven region on the shores of the Great Lake, Mimas was a fishing village on its founding and quickly grew into an center of learning and culture in the northern part of Solhaven. Because it was more isolated from their Solhavenite brethren, Mimas flourished undeterred by the extensive wars that plagued the rest of Solhaven. The Mimans arrived on the scene just as tensions were heating up again between the cities of Hyperion and Enceladus. Using their influence as an non-belligerent and acting as diplomats, Mimas helped negotiate a peace treaty between Hyperion and Enceladus which prevented a seventh war and paved the way for the creating of the Solhavenite Pact several years down the line. After these two diplomatic victories, the Mimans became well-respected as fair and impartial judges, even attracting the attention of the Angirisians and Romulans in the south. It was a Miman counselor who negotiated the settlement between the Angirisian allies and the Romulan Empire which ended their war, and it was a Miman who chaired the convention that eventually formed the United Angirisian Federation. Perhaps no nation - save perhaps Tristram or Romulus - did more to create the Federation and ensure its survival than Mimas.

It goes without saying that Mimans are dedicated to public service and thus many Mimans serve in the Federation Diplomatic Corps or as judges and magistrates in the Judiciary. Because of their nominally moderate nature, Mimans are considered "swing voters" on many important and divisive issues. In recent years, Mimas also has become a center of learning - the city and its suburbs have more schools, academies and other educational institutions than any other Federation nation, and thus have a higher literacy rate than the Federation average. The University of Mimas has attracted students from across the world, and the school itself funds many foreign trips and studies as well as engages in a well-regarded foreign exchange program that has exposed Mimas and the Federation as a whole to cultures rarely or even seen before.

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Hyperion

The city of Hyperion has long dominated the Solhaven region, both because it is the largest Solhavenite city but because of its strong industrial base. Located in the southern edges of the Solhaven region looking out towards the ocean, Hyperion has one of the busiest industrial sectors in the Federation and perhaps in the world. Due to this advantage, Hyperion as a city-state was much more well-armed than its peers and the Hyperians were not shy about flaunting their power. While most of the other states in Solhaven bowed down to Hyperion, the city of Enceladus in the north became the greatest thorn in Hyperion's side. The Hyperians tried to back Enceladus into a corner and join a confederacy with Hyperion at its helm, but Enceladus rejected Hyperion's advances. Tensions rose, and the resultant discord exploded into a series of six wars between Hyperion and Enceladus over a period of several decades. Hyperion battered Enceladus heavily in the first three wars, nearly forcing the Enceladans' capitulation. But fortunes turned, and Enceladus beat Hyperion in two of the final three wars before ending the sixth and final conflict in a stalemate. Had it not been for the diplomatic efforts of Mimas, Hyperion and Enceladus likely would have fought one last time and some have openly said that Enceladus would have ended up conquering Hyperion. With warfare stopped and negotiations beginning, Hyperion began to focus on rebuilding its industrial base, and contributed heavily to the defensive alliance between the Solhavenite states built by Mimas. Upon the formation of the United Angirisian Federation, Hyperion lent its considerable industrial power to the Athelonians, who were still rebuilding their society after their near-decimation at the hands of the Romulans.

With an industrial power base nearly unrivalled in the Federation, Hyperion is a center of innovation and ingenuity. Though the city is sometimes stricken by smog and pollution problems, the people are some of the most stout in the entire Federation. Sharing the same values of hard work and determination as the Athelonians - whom the Hyperians grew to respect greatly - Hyperion is one of the most constantly changing cities in the entire Federation. Unpredictability has always been Hyperion's greatest asset, and it is due to that that you never know what will happen next.

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