Revision as of 18:22, 30 December 2012

The Divine Republic of St. Oz
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: "Հոք ը Հոքձեռ" tr. Hok ey Hokjer. Here and Hereafter"
Anthem: "Դ՟գոդաք Վորետրեւվիսո" My memory leaves no empty spaces.
Geography
Area	3.1 millionkm2
Water (%)	{{{water_area}}}
Highest point	D'Zhrovak
Longest river	Shpri
Demographics
Population	452,659,000
• Density	146.02/km2
• Growth	.7%/year
Median age	34.9 years
Demonym	Ozian
History
Founding of Ozi'pol	January 26th, 921 BCE
Formation of the Divine Republic	August 6th, 349 BCE
•  Ozian Liberation	December 4th, 1907
Government
Capital	Ozi'pol (St Oz City)
Official language	Ozian, Moaz
Type	Unitary Theocratic Republic
Legislature	Ozian Senate
Sancta	Adara Revia Oz
Primav	Amelio Parpaski
Districts	19
Economy
Currency	Paloi Equa Insorken "Maritime Insurance Currency" (₴) (PEI)
GDP	₴5,419,168,000,000
• Per capita	₴9,154
• Growth	6%/year
Sectors	18% Agriculture 35% Industry 47% Services
Unemployment	4.9%
Gini	51.3
Development
Life expectancy	69.5 years
Improved water access	95%
Literacy	100%
Enrollment	99%
• Primary	99.9%
• Secondary	99.9%
• Tertiary	45%
Standards
Measures	Metric
Date format	day-month-year
Traffic	Right-hand
Codes
ISO code	OZ
Internet TLD	.oz
Calling code	+13

Ozia (Ozian:Ոժի tr. Ozhi), officially known as The Divine Republic of St. Oz (Ozian:Աանքթտլժա Ռբպւվլիքը դեվ՟Ոժի tr. Sanktizha Repuvklikey dev'Ozhi) is a country with lands on the southwestern tip of Ennorath and the northwestern top of Libia with the strait of O between it. It is a theocratic republic comprised of 19 different districts. Its location made it a historical crossroad for commerce, culture, and science. A prehistoric culture called the Praemians began developing on the strait of O 20,000 years ago, and desert peoples from central Libia called Fre'zhi began settling near the strait around 9000 years ago. People from Ozia are descended from the ancestors of the Fre'zhi and Praemians, while people from Moacia are directly descended from the Fre'zhi and people from Iadak are directly descended from Praemians. Traditionally and historically, Ozia was recognized as the dominant nation in the strait region by 910 BCE under the leadership of the First Listener

History

Main article: History of St Oz

The Praemian Kingdoms

Main article: The Praemian Kingdoms

As much as 29 known kingdoms formed from the Praemian cultures around the O Strait by 2000 BCE. Older religious texts refer to these kingdoms as the "Coalition of the 50 towers". Of these 50 alleged tower kingdoms only one tower remains intact at the city of Nyahar in western Ozia while 28 bases were discovered in other locations. These towers were said to reach the sky high enough so their priests and priestesses could listen to the Goddess, but they may have only been as high as 8 stories tall and the one at Nyahar is only 6 stories tall. These Praemian Kingdoms are best known for regulating the amount of Fre'zhi and mixed settlements with demands of tribute, piracy, and enslaving the Fre'zhi and Ozian populaces. By 1000 BCE, these settlements were entirely of mixed ethnicity who called themselves Ozians. Matriarchal societies developed among the Ozian settlements because Praemians took only males as slaves. Several settlements adopted the rule of 19 with their Praemian oppressors, which was an unofficial agreement to only take males who were older than 19 years of age. This made the average population growth among Ozian settlements low or declining.

The Legend of the Listener and the Praemian Wars

Further information: Gaeanism

Praemians followed a monothiestic tradition around the Goddess. They believed that everyone returned to her to tell their life story and then she judged their path of reincarnation. Fre'zhi settlers were polytheistic and followed a Parthenon ruled by 32 main Gods and Goddesses. Among the 32 was one named Gaea who represented the goddess of growth, life, and memory. It's theorized that Gaeanism has its origins in both of these traditions when the Fre'zhi and Praemians merged together to form Ozian societies. According to legend, a Gaeanist soothsayer named Mag Marangoz predicted that one day a child, called the Zhadae Sankta, would be born of a Praemian noble and an Ozian slave who would have the ability to hear the wisdom of Gaea to unite all the tribes of the Ozian people against the Praemians. In 945 BCE, a Praemian Princess named Estha Klavid was married off in a political union with another Praemian Kingdom's crown prince. There she was unhappy with this union but fell in love with the prince's personal slave Zei and bore a daughter with him. The prince upon finding out about this killed Zei and doomed the daughter to live only within the confines of the castle. However, the daughter of Zei and Estha, Revia, ventured out in secret. When she discovered the sufferings of Ozians, it devastated her, and so one day she escaped. Later she gathered followers and incite a slave riot in her homeland. This first riot destroyed the first Praemian Kingdom and when slaves discovered who she was, started to accept her as the Zhadae Sankta according to Mag's prophecy. She brought the ex-slaves to a settlement and founded the city of Ozi'pol, the City of Ozia. Using labor from Praemian prisoners and ex-slaves, she built the Tower of Ozia as her palace, as a symbol of defiance against the Praemians. Every time Ozi'pol sacked a Praemian city-state, they dismantled the towers and use those bricks to build upon the Tower of Ozia. The Ozian holiday, Day of Fire, annually commemorates the battle at the Eir Isthumus, where about 2,000 Ozian men and women stood their ground outside of Ozipol against a Praemian force of 50,000-100,000 so as to delay the siege until the Zhadae Sankta returned. All 2,000 Ozians were killed and the national anthem is based off a poem written at the time in honor of the fallen.

Rise of the First Divine Republic

After 20 years of uniting the tribes, liberating slaves, and sacking Praemian kingdoms, the tower stood at 45 feet tall and the first listener used the finished tower as her palace. She also established the Ozian Senate at its base, where representatives from each tribe of Ozia met. Proceeding the first listener's death, she declared that her only daughter could assume her role as a listener, and that after her daughter died, Gaea would reincarnate her as the next listener and her daughter again after her second form died. Soon after Sankta Revia's death, the Ozians established a tradition of searching for the reincarnations of Revia or her daughter, Eda, to be the future heads of state of Ozia. By 500 BCE, the borders of Ozia stretched close to what they are in the present, and for the next 600 years after that, Ozians controlled the strait of O with little competition, and maintained free commerce in the region per the order of every succeeding Sankta.

Conquests

The first conquests weren't started by Ozians but by their distant cousins, the Moacians, around the turn of first century C.E. The eastern half of the strait fell victim to constant raids and demands of tribute from Moacians, and while the old 73 year old Sankta at the time tried to placate the situation without means of war, the next Sankta would be a native from the eastern regions. After the death of Sankta Sevgi Revia Oz, the 15 year old Iulia Eda Oz assumed the role of Sankta. At her inauguration, she immediately declared Moacia the greatest threat to Ozian peace, and that no more tributes would ever be paid to them with her famous line "Ozian Labor for Ozian Peoples, if they want our money, then we will make them Ozian." This conflict would be the first time Ozia waged war in 1000 years. Although the Ozian navy was already famous for its use of fire ships and pirate control in the region, its army was in sad shape compared to the Moacia. The Isle of Nimet played a crucial role in the war for breaking away from Moacia. The island had three reasons for doings this, being at the mouth of the strait, the island was in great proximity to the Ozian trade routes, also the island was reliant on food imports from Ozia to support its large population, and about half of the population including its leaders were part of Gaeanist faith.

The armies that were stationed on Nimet trained new Ozian armies during the first years of the war. The war started with little hope of victory on the Ozian side as the Moacians began conquering Ozian lands until it was on the doorstep of Ozi'pol. There, the newly trained Ozian army combined with a collection of militia groups fought one of the bloodiest battles in Ozian history. Ozian numbers defending the city were 50,000 offically, but the amount of militia defending the city were guessed to increase the strength to 500,000. The number of Moacians vary between sources. The official records from the old kingdom say 750,000, but commanders on the Ozian side guessed around 300,000-400,000. The Siege of Ozi'pol was a significant Ozian victory for turning around the war. The amount of casualties is unknown, but historians guess it was around 400,000 combined. In Iulia's records, she said, "Many mothers, daughters, fathers, and sons returned to Gaea too soon in the defense of Ozian harmony. This is yet another wound on Gaea's people that will take time to never fully heal." In 10 years the entire kingdom of Moacia was conquered and made into a region. The populace was forced to forget their old relgion in favor of Gaeanism. 200 years later in the third century C.E., the Divine Republic acquired three more regions, Iadak, Jutensa, and Vonisia, through bloodless conquests.

The First War with Haradrim

Hostilities between the Divine Republic and the Haradrim Empire began in the 5th century with the arrival of several Melkorist missionaries. Melkorism had just been founded, and the missionaries were purely voluntary in the beginning. However later the Emperor began sending missionaries for Imperial gains. By this time many communities believed the missionaries to be "hollows" or people without spirits. This resulted in the missionarys' public torture, rape, humiliation, and/or execution. The Sankta responded to communities that had accepted Melkorism by creating a secret police, STIA (d'Sanktizhe Tezarete Isthibarati'que Ajans), to follow the activities of the missionaries, often resulting in the missionary's disappearance, assassination, or torture. Vonisia was the only province to gain a sizeable amount of Melkorists, and the emperor of Haradrim sent the famous scholar Pat. Osberht Helmold to reside as the island's Bishop in 712 CE. A month later the Sankta made the order to STIA to assassinate Pat. Helmold. STIA sent their most skilled assassins for the task, Iana Iseltov and Naz Parpaski. The plot started having complications which angered the Sankta. However the long planning stage paid off when Iseltov and Parpaski stole the entire Haradric Treasury as well as filling the entire vault with not only the body of Pat. Helmold but members of the imperial family and the Haradric Treasurer. The two placed the mark of Gaea on each of their foreheads, as to claim credit for the event. This event in 713 sparked a war that would end in 842 with a minor territorial gain bordering Jutensa for the Ozians. During the time of peace, Ozia refused Haradric ships access to the strait, which resulted in inflated import and export prices for the Empire. Privateers also often raided Haradric shipping and prevented explorers from passing through the Inglo-Scotian strait during peace time.

The Second War with Haradrim

In the 17th Century, Haradrim signed alliances with the Al-Bolu Khagante and Pelagis. Continued harassment of Haradric shipping gave the Empire a casusus belli to bring in their allies. These nations were also victim to strict Ozian control over their commercial capabilities. This war was nicknamed the "Hundred Year Battle for the Sea", since 80% of battles were fought between navies. 33% of these sea battles were fought by Ozian privateers who stayed on La Sava. During this war the Parpaski and Iseltov direships used plunder money to build a wall around the entire island of La Sava after several attempts by Haradrim and Pelagian to seize the island. Also during this time the Iseltov direship developed the first rifles towards the end of the war, but the rifle wouldn't be fully utilized by the Ozian army until the 19th century. By the end of the war in 1772 CE, the greatest victors were the Iseltov and Parpaski direships. They took private control of three Haradric ports and one Pelagian one as well as establishing their influence on trade in the region. St Oz won the war over influence and had no territory to gain, but they also realized they had little control over La Sava. Haradrim and its allies were the ultimate losers in the conflict and were forced to pay a tribute to La Sava for their ports back.

The Communist Takeover

Main article: The Communist Takeover

Further information: Madame Ousi

The industrial revolution began in St Oz in the early 19th century, and while St Oz had historically kept a strict laissez-faire mindset, it created terrible human welfare conditions for the workers. Workers quarters became like prisons, and when trying to leave these industrial communes it could result in execution. An intellectual, nicknamed Madame Ousi, who escaped one of these communes and studied in Myroria began gaining popularity among the workers. She wrote a worker's manifesto, calling for a communist revolution to debase the capitalist's control over the workers' religion, culture, and poor welfare. She even based some of her complaints for the aristocracy of the time on the first listener's writings, declaring famously that they might as well have thrown the chronicles in the smoke stacks. In 1833, Madame Ousi came back to Ozia to a weapon's plant, calling on them to take up arms and fight. She successfully lead the workers in liberating their commune where she famously gave her "This is only the beginning!" speech. Some historians believe that Madame Ousi is at least the best orator in Ozian history if not in the entirety of Taijitu for her very easy ability to garner support from not only industrial workers, but farmers, clergy, soldiers, and even the Sankta herself. At the height of the revolution, Madame Ousi forced her way into the Tower of O's senate section, took all the senators she deemed "hollows" onto the plaza and executed them. This sparked outrage from the Parpaski direship, as 50% of these senators were affiliated with the direship in some way. Madame Ousi made several reforms on the Divine Republic's constitution, including the establishment of the Council of Economic Experts. These reforms resulted in freer elections and greater welfare for the workers. Several unpopular reforms took place though which resulted in severe instability in the eastern regions of Ozia, such as the simplification of the Ozian alphabet and the free speech and practice of religion laws. For a temporary period of 20 years Melkorism was a legal religion. Madame Ousi also practiced pacifism, resulting in a disarmament of 50% of the Ozian armed forces.

The Haradrim Occupation

Main article: The Troubles

Further information: St Oz in the Great War. Haradrim Gaeanist Legion

Culture

Main article: Culture of St Oz

Religion

Main article: Gaeanism

Government and Politics

The Sankta

The Ozian Senate

Council of Economic Experts

Council of Dires

Iseltov-Parpaski Zentrale Etrepoza

The 'Iseltov-Parpaski Zentrale Etrepoza' or more commonly called 'd'Zen', is the official central bank of St Oz. As per history, the enormous amount of equity that the Iseltov and Parpaski direships enjoy is due in part by the Greatest Heist, when the two conwomen, Iseltov and Parpaski, stole the entire treasury of the early Haradrim Empire in the 8th century CE. As the story goes, the two hid their enormous wealth of gold on the island of La Sava. The two combined their shares of gold to form a single banking institution that not only held monopoly power over Ozian banks, but that wanted to spill their power and influence into other nation's banking systems. Later in the 18th century the bank, known at the time only as the Iseltov-Parpaski Etrepoza, became largely what it is today with the endorsement of the Sankta as an emergency institution for failing banks. In exchange for special powers and monetary power, the Sankta and Ozian Senate declared that the bank maintain the PEI's price stability. Later in 1927, the senate expanded their powers to gathering economic statistics and closing unemployment gaps. D'Zen is ran by two chairpersons, one nominated by the Iseltov direship and theo ther nominated by the Parpaski direship. Both nominations must be approved by the Senate, Sankta, and Council of Economic Experts. The Council of Economic Experts will designate one of council members to act as a delegation from the council, that title is "Grand Statistician". The PEI is the oldest fiat currency in the world and has enjoyed a long tradition of price stability thanks in part to d'Zen. D'Zen uses very aggressive means to stabilize its currency, and in three occasions have purposefully engineered an economic recession to do this. Ozian economists like to boast that it is the most secure currency in the world.

Diplomacy

Myroria

The theater, art, and music of Myroria has always been popular among the Ozian population, and there's a real market in darker areas of St Oz for counterfeit Myrorian paintings as well as art smuggling. The peoples of St Oz and the people of Myroria have common ancestors in history, and though Ozians discriminated against their religious practice of Christianity, some Ozians help support their mass exodus in the past when they were better known in Ozian as 'Keihessezhi' or "People without a name". Today both Keihessezhi and Myrorzhi are in reference to the same people. While both share a same ancestors, both countries historically shared hostility in economic matters, especially when a Myrorian House comes into conflict with an Ozian Direship. In the modern era, the two states are allies and are in the same diplomatic agreement called the Community of Cefnor

Eluvatar

Often the Ozian poets and authors ridicule the Aeluzhi for the stereotype (created by Ozians) for being extremely boring. The most famous example is from the 19th century from the book No Bad Opiates, where a diplomat from Eluvatar named Count Seforfeffermathonor of Erafeffifirfofuf tried to find a bride in Ozia, so that he can better understand the people and customs. However the Count fails to realize not only is there no such thing as marriage in St Oz but that women are head of the household and ends up in the ill-fated journey of kinky sex, abuse, and extreme drug use. Historically, Ozian pirates especially targeted Eluvataran shipping, sometimes private, but in other times a command by the Sankta herself. Today both participate in the Community of Cefnor and enjoy semi-amicable relations. If a debate ever arises in the community of Cefnor, it is likely one between the Ozian and Eluvataran delegations.

Inglo-Scotia

Historically, Ozian and Inglish privateers have cooperated with each other on several occasions. Both nations have a great tradition of maritime supremacy in the region, and both have enjoyed more cooperation than competition. Several times in the past though, Ozian volunteers traveled to Inglo-Scotia to fight in their civil wars. Today the two nations are allies in the Community of Cefnor.

The Diamond Coast

The Diamond Coast is a former colony of St Oz, until it was lost during the Great War. The Haradrim Empire never controlled the Diamond Coast, Priozha, La Sava, or the northern regions of Ozia, so the diamond coast acted as temporary headquarters for government elements and the military. The Diamond Coast populace was once a large area containing several different ethnic groups, but the Ozians influenced the region with religion, language, and restructuring to more unify the region. Unlike other Imperial colonial possessions, St Oz provided basic welfare and education to the populace, which garnered much respect with the line of Sanktas from the Diamond Coast. Today, St Oz has declared herself a protector of the Diamond Coast, preparing to wage war against anyone who wants to invade it.

The People's Republic of Haradrim

STIA came out with a report in 2001 revealing the part St Oz played in Haradrim's Revolution. They showed that STIA had conducted statistical models to best trigger a revolution or coup'd'tat on the Empire, later explaining that one model was increasing the quantity of small arms in the black market of Haradrim, especially to nationalist groups in the Haradrim Empire. The report says St Oz spent a total of 10 billion pei subsidizing the underground small arms market in Haradrim. Historically and presently, St Oz holds a strained relationship with the PRH, and the religion of Melkorism is illegal in St Oz. Practicing Melkorism within St Oz is a punishable offense measuring at least 10 years in jail, with more severe penalties such as capital punishment for teaching anyone under 15, leading a Melkorist group, or practicing Melkorism a second time. Although no longer widely enforced, the law still exists.

Geography

Main article: Geography of St Oz

Economy

Main article: Economy of St Oz

Further information: Currency of St Oz