Sovereign State of Theiónikos

The Duchy of Theiónikos (Theiónikos translating to "the Victory of Theios," or "the Victory of God" in Theioglossa) or simply known as Theiónikos, was a nation located in the large Northern Desert of the Continent of Alteniquia. Its capital was the Holy City of Theiotokos, situated at the heart of this desert region on a trade route between Vastallos and Southeastern Alteniquia. Theiónikos was a successor state of both the 2nd Yimmu-Audal Empire, and the Soleannen Empire, and acted as the foundation for the reunified Kingdom of Theios-Essukdal. It would remain a mostly autonomous Duchy under this Kingdom until the reformation of Yimmu-Audal. It was during the 3rd Empire of Yimmu-Audal that the Duchy of Theiónikos was formally reorganized by Duke LethalMuffin193 into the Archonate of Theiónikos, which would continue as a province of Yimmu-Audal through the formation of the Astyllean Empire, at which point it became an Imperial Astyllean State under the leadership of the second Archon Asselli-Nak.

Humble Beginnings
The roots of the Duchy of Theiónikos are found in the initial settlement of Yimmu-Audal's territories in the Northern Desert of Alteniquia. This occurred when the town of Theiotokos was founded by the then slave LethalMuffin193 as a holy site of Theiosism. It was upon the founding of Theiotokos that the region began to be truly developed, and soon after the Elder Council officially established it as the Northwestern Territories. For a time the Northwestern Territories remained a semi-autonomous zone presiding over the vast and uninhabited frontier of Yimmu-Audal, that was until the formal creation of a regional government by LethalMuffin.

Northwestern Territories
The first proper government of the region which would go on to become the Duchy of Theiónikos was the territorial government under the leadership of Governor LethalMuffin. During this time the territories were still sparsely populated and under the de facto theocratic rule of the Sanctum of Theiotokos, the governing body of the Theiosist Faith. However, a colonization initiative would be declared by the government of Yimmu-Audal under the direction of the Governor, which would lead to the founding of many settlements across the territories. The first of these settlements would be Gebel and Zir-Qalman. It was during this initial period of growth that the Theiosist faith came into Communion with the Sakrelist faith, and that the nation truly began to take shape.

County of Theiónikos
After the settlement of the Four Great Cities (Theiotokos, Gebel, Zir-Qalman, and Ayesinco) within the Western Territories a new feudal government would be established in the region. This came in the form of the County of Theiónikos, which, under the rule of Count LethalMuffin, would continue to see growth in terms of population, economy, and infrastructure development. The Theiosist faith also began to rapidly spread throughout the region due to its status as the de jure religion of Theiónikos. Though the time of the County was brief, it was also perhaps the most foundationally important. It was during this short period in the late days of Yimmu-Audal that the pillars of Theioniki identity were built. Strong feudal traditions were established alongside a spirit of independence, while the light of faith served as a diligent guide for the nation's future.

Imperial Duchy of Theiónikos
When Yimmu-Audal was defeated in the Trillium War and annexed by the Soleannen Empire, the County of Theiónikos was peacefully integrated into the Empire by Emperor Siegfried of Escharia as the Duchy of Theiónikos. This was in stark contrast to its southern neighbors in Audal, who were in vehement opposition to the change of authority. It was also in no small part due to Duke LethalMuffin's cultural connections to Escharia as a member of the Niedene people. During the first weeks of Soleannen rule, the Imperial Fort of Il-Kabulli was created within the lands so as to ensure the loyalty and protection of the new Imperial Province against hostile powers. While the Duchy of Theiónikos was continuing its expansion in population, the Emperor of Soleanna also granted them new lands in Siroba and Alshati and a coast on the Sea of Pearls. The Duchy's government continued to evolve, the faith continued to grow, and the power of the Duke continued to increase as Soleanna gave them more authority over the region. This determined growth and newfound autonomy would set the Duchy up for success once it gained its independence during the fall of the Empire.

Freedom at Last
After the dissolution of the Soleannen Empire, the Duchy of Theiónikos, as well as many other Imperial Provinces, became independent successor states. For the first time in Theiónikos' history, it was a sovereign nation with the right to its own self-determination. The formal systems of government and the power of the Sanctum of Theiotokos had fully established themselves, and now the Theioniki people were free to pursue their own destiny. The growth seen under Soleanna would continue unimpeded, while its southern neighbors further regressed. This period would be likened to the Golden Age of Theiónikos, a time during which the Duchy experienced an economic boom and cultural revolution, while also acquiring a host of new lands and reclaiming old territories of Yimmu-Audal.

It was on the crest of this Golden Age that Stori Audalad, the Jagdasian Emperor and previous master of LethalMuffin, returned and ushered in the Yimmu-Audal Renaissance. Reunification talks had already taken place between the leadership of both the Duchy of Theiónikos and Free Yimmu-Audal, but the process would be impeded by the internal politics of Yimmu-Audal until the former Emperor returned. The Duchy of Theiónikos, being the dominant power of the region, would then serve as the foundation for the new Kingdom of Theios-Essukdal, with the state faith and Feudal system of the Duchy continuing on into the new nation. The Duchy would be reorganized into a new realm under Theios-Essukdal, with its previous leader LethalMuffin maintaining his title of Duke but focusing his efforts on leading the new faith of the nation. The next monarchs of this Kingdom would also be powerful and influential figures in Theiónikos' history, with the First Lugal being Takiruko, previously the Count of Gebel and Chief Diplomat of the Duchy of Theiónikos, and the First Ningal being Countess Mystic of Coltmaere. The laws and Constitution of Theiónikos would also serve as the basis for the First Constitution of Theios-Essukdal, with the foreign and domestic policy of the nation greatly influencing the development of this new Kingdom.

Culture of the Duchy
The majority of the population of the Duchy of Theiónikos were traditionally Audaladae, with a small Niedene minority group, however, over time these Audaladae would form a distinct cultural group all their own, that of the Gebelistani. The Gebelistani and Niedene Cultures interacted extensively with one another, with the duke himself part of the Niedene minority. This is a likely cause for the Audaladae shift over to a new cultural group, since many of the traditions of the Audaladae intermingled with those of the Lausarii Niedene. In general, the Gebelistani were known for their resilience under harsh conditions, diligent and industrious nature, as well as their ability to easily cooperate with neighboring cultural and religious groups. They mostly inhabited the regions within the Counties of Gebel, Theiotokos, and Ayesinco, with many of the other regions of the Duchy containing either historical ethnic minorities, immigrants, or native Audaladae, however, these groups were usually small in number, and often easily assimilated due to their shared religious beliefs.

Religion of the Duchy
The majority religion of the Duchy of Theiónikos was Theiosism, the regional Sakrelist faith of Yimmu-Audal. Due to the influence of the clergy on the government, and the fact that it was the official State Religion of the Duchy, it was no surprise that the religion was spread rapidly under the Grand Duke's rule and quickly adopted by the peoples of the region. The religious laws of the Duchy also enforced this religious majority, with taxes being levied against religious groups perceived as hostile or heretical, most notably the Blood Cult and Dolphinism. There was, however, a Soleannen religious minority carried over from the Duchy's time as a province of the Soleannen Empire. Under the Empire both Theiosism and Soleannen were official religions within the province, and after independence was granted to the Duchy by Emperor Siegfried shortly prior to the Soleannen Ascension, the Soleannen Religion remained a protected faith, with its followers exempt from religious taxes and its historic religious sites protected by the government.

Government
The government of the Duchy of Theiónikos was a Theocratic Aristocracy which consisted of two branches, these being the Executive Branch under the Grand Duke of Theiónikos, and the Legislative which was made up of the land-owning Nobility. The government itself was effectively merged with the clergy, with the Grand Duke himself being the religious leader of Theiosism and the Sakrelist Sanctum of Theiotokos, and thus many of the laws were based upon religious doctrine and the religious law of the Theiosist Faith.

Executive Branch
The executive branch of the Duchy of Theiónikos was based around the only reigning Grand Duke, LethalMuffin. He was the Head of State, held executive authority and control over the military, held divine authority over the faith, and possessed many other executive powers which were described in the Theioniki Constitution, such as veto power. However, for the most part the Duchy of Theiónikos was not a centralized regime, and the true level of control the Grand Duke held was fairly minimal. Instead, the Grand Duke opted to grant a large degree of autonomy to the many realms and territories which made up the nation, allowing the local domestic administration to be handled by the nobility. The Grand Duke was focused primarily on matters of overarching domestic importance as well as diplomacy with neighboring powers. Even still, some of these diplomatic and domestic powers were delegated down to his advisors, such as the Chief Diplomat and Grand Archivist.

Legislative Branch
The legislative branch of the duchy was usually controlled by a Council of nobles and aristocrats which owned landed titles in Theiónikos. Each noble had a fair degree of power over their own lands, and when there were matters of greater national importance the Grand Duke had granted the Nobles the power to organize themselves into this Council to discuss and vote on cross jurisdictional laws which affected all of their holdings. They would then bring such legislation to the duke for it to be signed or vetoed, though it was possible to overrule a veto with enough cooperation on the part of the nobility. The specific powers of this Noble Legislature were not strictly defined, but for the most part ranged from passing treaties and trade agreements, enacting economic policies, and granting subsidies to colonists. They even had the ability to draft religious laws with the consent and approval of the clergy, however, with the lines between the clergy and nobility often being blurred this was rarely an issue.

Noble Hierarchy
The Noble Peerage of the Duchy of Theiónikos was organized into the following system:


 * Grand Duke: The Duke was the Head of State and held executive power. He also de jure owned the Duchy itself. He was directly superior to the Counts.
 * Count/Countess: The Counts were the rulers of individual Counties consisting of two or more Baronies. They held a fair degree of control over their realms, and within each County acted as the executive authority. They were directly superior to Viscounts and Barons.
 * Viscount/Viscountess: The Viscounts were rulers of the largest or most influential Barony within a County, and acted as the right hand to their Count. They held more power over their lands than regular Barons, but in general this power was limited by their Count.
 * Baron/Baroness: The Barons were rulers of individual Baronies, which usually consisted of individual towns, cities, or forts. They were at the bottom of the noble hierarchy, and in theory held the least amount of power, but usually were given a large degree of autonomy by their Counts.

Cities in Theiónikos
The Duchy of Theiónikos at the height of its power controlled an expansive amount of territory across the northern desert of Alteniquia, spanning from the Phagosian Sea to the Sea of Pearls. The following were the most major settlements of the Duchy of Theiónikos before the reunification and creation of the Kingdom of Theios-Essukdal:


 * Theiotokos (Capital)
 * Gebel (Mining and Population Center)
 * Ayesinco (Trade Capital)
 * Zir-Qalman (Farming Settlement)
 * Siroba (Coastal Settlement)
 * Saval-Kharim (Rural Settlement)
 * Phoenix Keep (Fortress City)
 * Maereta (Island Trade City)

Forts


 * Il-Kabulli (Old Imperial Escharien Fort)
 * Ammothalios (Western Border Fort)
 * Fort Klyr (Fort South of Gebel)