Míyenxin

Míyenxin, officially the Workers Union of Míyenxin (Uedan ná Marmatña nrá Míyenxin), is an archduchy within the Holy Union of Sylvania, with its capital being situated in Pompaelo, also known for its culture of catfolks and its political system of "Nyaoism".

Míyenxin is a Semi-Constitutional Unitary Republic with a 9 member strong "Nine Lives Council" serving as both the leadership and legislature. The capital of Míyenxin is Pompaelo. There are a few other major cities, such as Nyoxuín, Yaika, Narayako, Otter, and Lakial. Míyenxin is made up of two landmasses spread across two different continents. Míyenxin prides itself on its unique culture, and seeks to protect both its own culture, as well as its cities.

Bygone Days; 7,000 BTE - 427 BTE
Long before any written script or writing, the region that is now Míyenxin was left relatively uninhabited until approximately 7,000 BTC, where there are signs of migration and habitation by the earliest known form of cats into Castellum (Kasitai), as well as migrations by the proto-Astillians into modern day Astillia (Astiliya), where they seemingly settled in fully around 2,500 BTC, where there are signs of settled down settlements and villages, despite being rare during this time, as the Astillians especially practiced a basic form of hunter-gathering. Meanwhile, the cats began to slowly develop into more of their humanoid form, although what caused this sudden transformation is unknown. According to Catfolk mythology, the power to "transform" was given by the Heavenly Emperor Tandimao, although this has not been confirmed in official records, with all that's left being oral tradition.

By 1,000 BTC, there were clearly defined cultural spheres of influence; with the now mostly developed "Catfolk '' inhabiting Kasitai, or Castellum, with far reaching cousins in modern-day Sanctus, as well as the proto-Astillian culture now inhabiting most of modern day Astillia (Astiliya). A process occurring this time was the introduction of agricultural cultivation, seemingly introduced from traders from the southern part of Astios, possibly from modern-day Redoriv. In terms of languages, things were developing as well; with the introduction of some of the earliest dialects from both the Catfolk & Astillian cultures, as well as the solidification of Voclarianism in its earliest stages in Astillia (brought by pilgrims). Catfolkism, on the other hand; began to splinter and develop into many subregional sects, this also included a break-off culture which would later develop into the Narayakan sect of Catfolkism.

By the 4th century BTE, both the Astillian & Catfolk cultures had developed advanced forms of agricultural cultivation, writing, and especially in Astillia; advanced systems of governance. This eventually lead to the rise of various city states on the coastline, leading to a fractured, but relatively prosperous region. West of the Da'de Mountains, Kasitai was developing somewhat differently; instead of more centralized government systems developing, a system of communalism and relative decentralization developed instead; due to the factorization of Catfolkism a few centuries prior. Despite this, a large sense of "unity" and "fellowship" developed between many of the small chiefdoms and statelets of Kasitai, despite their relative disunity. However, by roughly 427 BTE, the first surviving piece of writing was found in western Astillia, and not long after, pieces of writing were found in Central Kasitai, and thus; the prehistory of Míyenxin ends, and the beginning of proper written history began.

Classical Period; 427 BTE - 60 TE
Not long after the first written records arise from both Astillia and Castellum, the first names for the two regions began to develop, with the catfolk of Castellum in particular referring to their region generally as "Kasitai" and Astillia as "Astiliya", while the proto-astillians had varied names for the regions, but generally developed into a single common name, "Astillia". The development of significant city states is noted during this period, with significant evidence of sophiscated trade routes going across the coastline of Astillia, as well as the first mass usage of water-faring vessels, which was actually somewhat rare during this period. Kasitai continued to develop culturally; although began to run behind Astillia when it came to political development, due to its communalist nature and relative decentralization culturally. One of the oldest cities in Míyenxin that still survives to this day, Laikal, finally now somewhat resembles its modern form, with massive defensive structures having been constructed surrounding the city to protect it from raiders from the Da'de Mountains or from the sea, with piracy apparently being somewhat common.

However, this period of tranquility would start to come to an end by 1 TE, as the first settlers from Rathnir arrived, with several different groups of people merging to later form the “Aristii '' nation, with a significant influx from the state of Yürki in Rathnir, as well as some major figures later down the line that came from the Ellysian Empire. They would create this new nation in modern day Ameria; and would begin building up a significant amount of influence. There was also a sudden large influx of bandits and pirates, which had settled in and around the Laikal area in Astillia, throwing it into chaos.

Qiutan Times; 1 TE - 100 TE
With this, Astillia, in particular Laikal suddenly found itself under pressure from all sides, with raiders and invaders making a phony state not far from the city, and the increasing influence of the Kingdom of Aristios; as well as the disappearance of their leader would force local officials of Laikal to join the Kingdom of Aristios, leading to the partial integration of Astillia into the Aristii Empire, although most of the region remained largely ungoverned due to Laikal having not expanded much past their own city in the centuries prior. Many other city states across Astillia followed, as the strongest state in the area had joined the Empire. Across the Da'de Mountains, many chiefs and locals of the Kasitai region were severely alarmed by the arrival of the Aristii, with the imperialistic rhetoric and tendency to push their agenda onto the populations they conquered.

Battle of Axihamii; 70 TE
However, oddly enough; the new Aristii Kingdom adopted the religion of Astillia, giving them the chance to integrate the region better. However, the region of Kasitai, which was technically now apart of the Kingdom of Aristios violently resisted several attempts to subjugate them, and the first signs of a potential conflict with the Catfolk of Kasitai arose. And by 68 TE, a confrontation between the two was inevitable as several tribes and statelets within eastern Kasitai organized into a coalition to oppose the rapidly advancing Imperial Aristii, who now crossed the modern-day borders of Castellum and were heading directly towards Pompaelo. Which at this time was far smaller than it is now, but nonetheless still the largest in Kasitai (Castellum).

As the Aristii advanced, they were constantly harassed and bogged down by forward elements of the Kasitai coalition, although despite this, they remained cohesive and were able to advance towards the river adjacent to Pompaelo. At first, the Imperial Aristii were able to fjord the river without opposition, but were met with the bulk of the Kasitai forces on the bank of the river. Despite the Aristii being backed up against a metaphorical wall, they were able to inflict enough losses on the coalition army to force a route; with the roads to Pompaelo now open for the Imperial Aristii to storm into- which they eventually did. This would lead to a brief period of Aristii domination over Kasitai, now referred to as “Castellum”.

This loss against the Aristii set back the efforts of the catfolk of Kasitai by at least a few decades; with the consciousness of the later “Míyenxí” society having forever been altered, and the roots for another uprising– and eventually, these seeds of dissatisfaction would later destabilize, and ultimately be the end of the Empire of Aristios, leading to the creation of an Aristii Republic, and the subsequent freeing of many of the animal folk in Castellum; and at last, for the first time in 100 years, they could breathe easy.

Early Contemporary Span; 100 TE - 159 TE
Following the overthrow of the Empire of Aristios, the Castellum region began to prosper heavily under the new Republican government, with Pompaelo becoming a large regional capital, and being one of the biggest cities within Aristios itself; it also became the home to a new revived cultural movement of the catfolk. With no more repression to prevent its development, modern Catfolkism saw its first steps towards becoming a major religion in the area, and Pompaelo became the center for the Catfolk within all of Aristios.

However, the Republic of Aristios faced many internal issues, ranging from external malaises to internal strife among governors who still wanted to restore the monarchy. For example, the first signs of a significant gap between West & East Aristios showed itself during this period as Governor, later King Azriel of Bel-Ismer attempted to re-establish royal authority within his province, and much to the dismay of the Central Government, he was able to pass his bill which allowed him to do so; this, would be one of the signs of a disastrous decline for the Republic of Aristios, and the first full convergence between East and Western parts of Aristios.

Despite this however, things remained heavily in favor of the majority population West Aristios, ie. Castellum, Astillia, and Ameria; where these three provinces often had the most government positions, and therefore were able to at least somewhat stall the decline of the Republic; however, it would all be in vain as the environment within the Republic went from that of positivity to constant tension, anger, and frustration. And soon enough, it became too much for a certain Logui113, who was the governor of Castellum around that time.

In the late Fall of 159 TE, Logui would make a fateful announcement which would ultimately decide the fate for Aristios, and permanently separate the nation for good. Here, he would announce the secession of the province of Castellum from the dying, and fracturing Republic of Aristios to the Imperial Archonate of Sylvania, which had previously been a colony of Aristios decades prior. This threw what remained of the Republic into chaos, with Ameria and Astillia merging into “West Aristios” and screeding from the collapsing remaints of the Republic and also joined in Castellum’s footsteps as a regular province of Sylvania.

Contemporary Chapter; 159 TE - Present
By the Logui had begun to grow more and more inactive, and eventually, the newly promoted Fusionia, who now was the Lieutenant-General for Castellum was seen by many as a "potential" successor to Logui. Despite this, for the longest of time, Fusionia refused to usurp Logui. With the health of the Archduchy in mind, aswell as the increasing inactvity of Logui, Fusionia eventually announced that he would be restarting the electoral cycle for Castellum briefly, however; nobody else ran in this election, giving Fusionia an automatic win, with him being made Governor of Castellum not long after.

His Governorship wasn't marked by significant change, instead it laid the foundations for future events to come.

Independent Second Republic
In April 2023, EmperorUnknown began secret talks with Tia, mayor of Oxxo at the time, and Fusionia, who had just recently taken the mantle as Governor of Castellum. Emperorunknown talked of a proposal, one to restore the Republic of Aristios, with Castellum & West Aristios being merged to form this new state, and eventually; Fusionia agreed to this, and on eve of a cold day on the, EmperorUnknown, after having talks with Matthjis of Sylvania, announced the restoration of the Republic of Aristios (technically announced by Tia), with it encompassing the territories of Castellum & West Aristios (which was later divided back into Ameria & Astillia). Emperorunknown did not officially take power within the Republic, and instead gave official Chancellorship to Tia, while keeping Fusionia as the Governor of Castellum & Minister of Culture.

This new state wasnt without its drawbacks, however as a newly resurgent Imperial Provinces of Aristios saught to influence, and potentially get the ROA to "merge" with them to form a "greater" Aristios. As much of the government were old-age Republicans, they were generally less inclined about the idea. This was indeed a point of contention between those who generally supported cooperation with the IPA, and those who supported EmperorUnknown & Tia.

Chancellor Election of
By the time of the elections, things West Aristios began to heat up, with several political parties emerging out of the woodwork for a shot at having their own government in power, these were; The All-Narayakan Revolutionary Front (ANRF), Nu'vellan Political Clergy (NPC), Royal Nationalist Legion (RYL), Aristii Conservative Coalition (ACC), and the Natural Conservative Party of Aristios (NCPA). Many of these party would be forced to enter into a coalition if they had any proper chance at beating the incumbent government. Eventually, after a series of mergers and the establishment of a conservative and a pragmatic/"progressive" camp, the election itself was announced by Chief Censor Ani not long later during the. Relevant factions of this election were as follows:

Government (ANRF, NPC):


 * Retaining of Aristii Independence
 * Cordial relations with the IPA, nothing more
 * Re-election of Tia as Chancellor

Opposition (ACC Only):

Opposition (Nuvenos Only):
 * Cooperate with the Imperial Provinces
 * Emplacement of Piketoneer as Chancellor (Disputed?)


 * Empower & Promote Nuvenos religion
 * Emplacement of Piketoneer as Chancellor

Election Results & Late Aristios
Now comes a very controversial point in the Republic’s history, as many who participated claim there were signs of “electoral fraud” by the Tia administration, this has always been denied by the Tia administration and subsequent heads of state(s). Around this time, Echo decided to wholly support Piketoneer, resulting in a unified coalition against Tia’s incumbent Government. When the results came out- Piketoneer lost to Tia by a ⅕ margin. One of the more minor candidates was Ironfin, who ran as an independent candidate, separate from both Tia Fielinya and Piketoneer.

Following the Chancellor elections, the old order in Aristios was maintained, however, the calls of fraud in the electoral province definitely undermined the Republic's legitimacy as a proper political institution. This would also mark the slow decline and later partial dissolution of the Republic of Aristios (for the SECOND time!)

The next few months were uneventful, Tia’s second term as Chancellor saw an increasingly restrictive electoral province, with the requirements for becoming a registered voter being adjusted to prevent “outside interference” in the electoral province, the opposition claimed this was targeted against the Imperial Provinces of Aristios, but like other allegations; was denied by administration.

Behind the scene, issues continued to brew. When Aristios originally regained its Independence, one of clauses in the treaty stated if the “Republic of Aristios” faced an existential threat it couldn’t deal with, it was to rejoin Sylvania; there was also another, which stated if the “Leader” of Aristios had to leave the server within a 2 month period, the same process would occur.

This would later be extremely important in future events to come, with Tia and EmperorUnknown seemingly showing signs of quitting.

Reintegration into Sylvania
Some had predicted it, but not so soon, EmperorUnknown made a fateful announcement during the, which stated he was not only quitting the server, but activated the treaty with the Imperial Archonate of Sylvania, thereby, disbanding the Republic of Aristios and having all three provinces, Castellum, Ameria, and Astillia rejoin Sylvania all as archduchies.

To some, it was no mistake that it had happened on the second anniversary of Aristios. Initially planned to be a joint celebration between the IPA and ROA, now discard, it was seen as a slap in the face. The IPA wasn't the only one in confusion, on the other side of the Voclarian sea, the Republican Government, while expecting something like this to happen one day, didn't expect it so soon; and thus, the Republic of Aristios ceased to exist as an independent entity, but it, as a nation; did not.

Eventually, a few major figures were able to put the pieces that had been shattered by this sudden event back together, at least; to an extent, these figures were Fusionia, Ani, Matt, and Botilov. The four agreed on a common consensus, and after a day or two of debate, they all came to a single conclusion; the Republic of Aristios would be restored partially, but only as an Archduchy of Sylvania, its political institutions would be left intact, and it would have pretty much the exact same amount of autonomy as any other Archduchy did at the time.

Not long after, Sirlad, the previous founder of Sylvania & later its Imperial Archon was nominated as a temporary "interim" leader of Aristios. Unfortunately, no amount of appointing competent people could save what was next for Aristios; unpreventable decline.

Post-integration Decline
Despite Sirlad having been historically being a competent leader, she was far too busy elsewhere to focus properly on Aristios, with Fusionia, Ani, Mungo, and Beatrice calling the shots, and even then; Beatrice and Mungo would later retire, leaving Ani and Fusionia as the two remaining active government members that lived in Aristios or were even present. Eventually, seeking to deal with this period of inactivity, Fusionia & Ani got together to make an announcement on some of the issues that the Republic was facing, and addressing certain controversies, especially those regarding the May Chancellor Election of.

Around this time, there was also conspiracy growing across the Sylvanian Government regarding the Republic of Aristios existing at all, with some putting up the idea of re-splitting the archduchy into its respective provinces (again), this was made even worse by another proposal at the time to dissolve Archduchies as a political entity entirely within Sylvania, this; would become a reoccurring issue.

Throughout the next few months, Aristios (around this time the name change occurred) continued to limp forward under Fusionia's chancellorship, and even his chancellorship wouldn't last for much longer. Around this period, the political environment in the Sylvanian Government began to rapidly change, and Fusionia felt increasingly isolated amongst his fellow government members, feeling cornered and unsupported (or unwelcome); Fusionia resigned his post as both Archduke and Chancellor. The position was handed over to Winteke, who had from behind the scenes, promised that he would "continue" the path that Míyenxin had been taking under his chancellorship.

Míyenxí Renaissance
When Winteke became Chancellor of Míyenxin after Fusionia's resignation, Míyenxin underwent a series of cultural, political, and even demographic changes during this period, with Yaika's population increasing from about 5 to about 10-15 by, with it having become one of the biggest towns in Míyenxin, besides Pompaelo and Laikal. Similarly, Catgirlism, in particular, its political wing; Nyaoism saw an increased spike in influence across Míyenxin, as by this point it had solidified itself as the main political faction within Míyenxin.

In addition, the political status of the Republic of Míyenxin was changing, with an increased distaste and pressure to retire the old "Republic" name, Winteke, alongside Fusionia and Ani began to slowly move away from the old republic name, and began moving towards reforming and restructuring Míyenxin, with the so called "Nine Lives Council" being formed in the, acting as both the executive, and legislative body of Míyenxin.

Unfortunately, this period was not without its own controversy, as there were small conflicts and increasing unrest between Míyenxin and the wider Sylvanian world. With many in Sylvania hating the Workers Party of Aristios (or the Nyaoists) for their apparent "Anti-Sylvanian" ideals, as well as generally for being leftist. There were also some behind the scenes dispute between the Nyaristii and many ex-IPA officials, who still continuously pressured Winteke, Fusionia, and Ani to "help" them with restoring a greater Aristios. However, none have really shown interest in doing that to any extent.

Administrative System
Míyenxin is a Unitary Semi-Constitutional Republic with a unicameral legislature that acts as both the executive, legislative, and the judicial branches of Míyenxin. This unicameral legislature is called the “Nine Lives Council” in Míyenxin, and is generally the highest position in Míyenxin besides the Archduke, who is also a member of the council. This council has ultimate control over domestic, cultural, and all internal affairs within Míyenxin; although they are free to bound themselves to certain limitations; although this is at the discretion of every sitting member. The Nine Lives Council is made up of the nine most influential public figures of Míyenxin, and many of them are typically ex-republican officials from the long-gone Republic of Aristios. If a member were to leave the Nine Lives Council, the other eight members would convene and vote another in as the new member, in a semi-democratic oligarchic system.

Míyenxin is made up of three provinces; Castellum (Kasitai), Astillia (Astiliya), and Ameria (Nohénax). These provinces have their own governors, and typically are semi-self ruling; although ever since the creation of the Míyenxí State, the provincial governments have largely dissipated into the central Government of Míyenxin. The Constitution of Míyenxin finds its origins from the older Republic of Aristios constitution, although it has been effectively put into disuse after the creation of the Nine Lives Council, and the subsequent freezing of all democratic institutions for an indefinite amount of time. However, the modern Míyenxin does share its roots within both the former Provincial Government of Castellum, as well as the Republic of Aristios. The Archduke of Míyenxin is technically a position that exists outside of the Nine Lives Council, and is held by the person who technically owns the entire territory according to Sylvanian standards. Previously, they were referred to as the “Chancellor” but now they are more or less treated as a regular member of the Nine Lives Council that just so happens to own everything they have.

Internal Politics
Míyenxin’s political scene can be described as relatively unified under a single party or ideology. With the Workers Party of Míyenxin, or WPM having the ultimate control among most of the Míyenxí Government and populace; with it concurrently having a membership of about 28 people. The Workers Party of Míyenxin practices a home-grown movement called “Nyaoism ''. Nyaoism at first glance is somewhat confusing, although can be generally described as supporting communalism, defending the culture and faith of Míyenxin, the protection of nature, and the acknowledgement that land (such as forests, plains, rivers) cannot be owned- but property can; such as factories, homes, and businesses. However, there are many schools of thoughts which take on different interpretations of Nyaoism, and the following are the four biggest sects.

Mainstream Nyaoism (Moderates)
Mainstream Nyaoists, also known as “Moderates '' in other schools of thought are the original believers in Nyaoism, they support all key ideals of Nyaoism, although they can have slightly differing views depending on the person. Generally, they do support a mix of power to the general populace, and a strong state authority; leading to a semi-democratic oligarchic system typically forming under this school of thought.

Typically, this form of Nyaoism is most common in Míyenxin, and enjoys majority support in Castellum; particularly Narayako, Pompaelo, and Yaika.

Unruled Nyaoism (Anarchists)
The previously aforementioned “Unruled” Nyaoists, also referred to as “Anarchists” in some nations, is a school of thought which not only calls for further communalisation. In addition to that, they also call for the abolition of the social hierarchy as it is unnatural and is a function of the state that they wish to abolish. It also calls for all land to be publicly owned, and not just nature.

Unruled Nyaoism is also present within Míyenxin, although enjoys far less general support than the mainstream school, it still has a presence within the city of Otter/Oxxo/Kalisburgo.

Order Nyaoists (Conservatives)
Order Nyaoists are the opposite of the Unruled Nyaoists, and instead believe in a stronger state structure in order to take care of the populace and ensure the values of Catfolkism and Nyaoism are protected. They also believe that the state should have ownership of all territory, including both private and public land. Generally, they tend to be more assertive when it comes to spreading Nyaoism & Catfolkism outside of Míyenxin.

Currently, the “Order” Nyaoists are mostly people who live outside of Míyenxin but are still within Sylvania.

Valdic Nyaoists (Conservative Subsect)
Valdic Nyaoists are a particular branch of the “Order Nyaoists”, although tend to believe in a far more privatized economic structure than the three other schools, believing that land should be privately owned; and that there should be ultimate freedom of commerce. Other than that, they usually believe in the basic principles of Nyaoism and affiliate themselves with the Conservative Camp.

Valdic Nyaoists are the ruling class of the Grand Jarldom of Riverheim, although they do not enjoy a large amount of public support in the archduchy.

Climate & Geography
The climate of the region is very different depending on what province you're in. In particular, Castellum is split between an extremely arid Levian Desert to a desolate, freezing wasteland south of Narayako & Northeast of Pompaelo (Galleta). On the other hand, Astillia enjoys much rainfall and has frequent monsoon seasons through the summer months; as a result of this, it is very humid and large portions of the province are made out of jungles. Although, all of this moisture is blocked by the Da’de mountains, which prevents the majority of this from going into Castellum.

Ameria for its part is somewhat similar to Astillia; humid, and originally full of jungles. However, the region has been the place of complete ecological devastation as the city of Nosteria, or Novapolis during the Republican era has largely destroyed the remaining nature within the area, resulting in a severe case of soil erosion, deforestation, and the destruction of many habitats. Castellum and Astillia are separated by a massive mountain range, referred to as the “Da’de” mountains in northern Castellum; they are the most major mountain range in all of Míyenxin, and have typically prevented the Astillians & Catfolk from interacting from anything more than a trade relationship.

Ameria is the only province that does not share a land connection with the other two; instead, Ameria sits across the Voclarian Sea, away from the corelands of the Míyenxí proper, and is the home to Nosteria; the capital of most successive Aristii Governments prior to the Republic of Aristios.

Ameria
The first lands settled by the Yürki people of Rathnir who would go on to become the first Aristii, Ameria was the heart of the Empire of Aristios. Oleapolis, the Imperial capital, was founded in the rocky hills of Ameria after a series of conflicts and dealings with Eldham natives. The province would go on to be governed by the first two Emperors, who developed the walls of their city to be among the grandest in Eldham at the time.

Astillia
The land of Astillia at first belonged to settlers of a different nation, Voclaria-Transardacia. They were pilgrims who believed they had reached their holy land and worshiped the deity Voclari, their god of Hell. The newly declared Empire of Aristios laid claim to the lands of Voclaria-Transardacia and after negotiation and intimidation, they joined and became the second Aristii people. Their religion would go on to become popular among the Aristii nobility, and at one point was declared the official faith of the Empire.

Castellum
Castellum first started off as a relatively unsettled territory of Voclaria-Transardacia, however there are folktales of an ancient feline race that had lived there for centuries, worshiping their own gods such as "Pomelo" and "Luna", although due to intimidation, these early settlers, seeking to prevent their settlements from being destroyed, took on the appearance of "Catfolk" people who had largely a human appearance, save for the ears and the occasional tail. The area didnt become truly inhabited by foreign powers until the Empire of Aristios had taken Voclaria-Transardacia's territory, and a Yürki noble was sent to settle the area that was now Pompaelo; the influence of the native catfolk never truly wore off, and the Yürki-born nobles were graudally replaced with Catfolk, especially after the fall of the Empire.

Religion and Traditions of Ramoñexe
Ramoñexe (colloquially known as Catfolkism, or in Narayako as "Manuzhyui"), is a syncretic faith with influences from many folk religions in Míyenxin, as well as some trace influences from other faiths such as Nox Lucism and the Nuvenos.

Worldview
At first, the inhabitants of what is now Castellum; then called "Kasitai" came to figure out that their world was dominated by spirits, with them ranging from nature spirits to spirits of the dead. They also came to realize that great “calamities” would occur seemingly at random, but those who were keen enough noticed a pattern, a great pattern, and there were some who claimed they had saw “greater” spirits channeling great oceans apart and back together again, who would wind rivers and mountains; many rebuffed these stories, telling their own fellows that this was “pure” nonsense, and that these had no basis, but these colluminations of stories gradually led to the Catgirlism as we know today.

Many believe there to be a series of gods, but generally, there are two gods that the majority of Catfolk believe in; The Summer God “Xiatian”, and the Winter God “Dongtian”, but there is also a much higher being, which would later be named the “Heavenly Emperor”, or “Tiandimao” who supervised and ruled over all spirits, both big and small, and he would be the one controlled most spirits in the lower world, with a level of "respect" and "loyalty" being expected, and one must go through many trials and tribulations to pay back for his protection of the lower world.

大战 | Dazhan, circa 27 TE
An elder showed up to a small village in Kasitai, just northeast of what is now Pompaelo, and he told his people stories of “great battles” between what he called “Zhenshin” (Spirits) across his pastures, and how these spirits had the ability to move both land and water, with them seemingly in a great struggle for their survival against each other. He came to realise that two spirits in particular had more sway than the others, and he spoke of his encounter;

He painted a scene in the heads of those who listened to him, that of a great battle, the forests shook, the animals fled, and the currents of the rivers ran wild, and in the distance, he saw two monoliths standing, opposing each other; seemingly in a standoff, and it seemed like the very world around him was changing. The commotion came to an abrupt end as the two monoliths halted their struggle, and ceased immediately. Shortly after, he spoke of a loud disturbance in the distance, and these spirits immediately ceased their commotion, they seemed affray and suddenly left the area immediately, while thunder roared in the distance, a great storm was brewing.

It seemed that someone up in the great heavens was upset, said the elder; and that's all he could recall.

天帝 | Tíandímo
There had been rumors of a “greater being” somewhere, as all spirits seemingly were being controlled or, even governed by something; and eventually, passed down through oracle tradition, old great men, called “Kedongwu” spoke of a heavenly being which watched over what they saw as a “lower world”, who seemingly commanded and even ordered all spirits of the world around; and if they acted out of place, would be recalled to the upper world, known as “貓的上層世界” or “Upper World of Cats”. There, a supposed “Heavenly Emperor” or “Tiandimao” would later bestow upon the cats the ability to transform into something greater, however, he needed to send one of his most trusted aides to be sent to the lower world to bestow them upon this, and thus; Goddess Tongqing, the embodiment of mercy and compassion, was sent down to the lower world to bestow this gift to the cats. What was this gift? The ability to transform into more of a human shape, allowing for the cats of Kasitai to advance and enrich themselves.

During this time the, Winter & Summer goddesses often came into conflict with each other as the Heavenly Emperor was unable to prevent this infighting, not long after, great calamities began to strike across the territory of Kasitai, which was around the time of the 27 TE episode.

Acquisition of Agriculture
""Historians have long since puzzled over the emergence of agriculture in this region, no one truly knows besides some bits of folktale passed through generations. Variations exists but generally, it is said that many moons ago, the land that is now Castellum went through a rough bout of drought. All the lakes and rivers dried up, and the feline inhabitants underwent a famine. One cat, unable to bear the sight of her family’s suffering; prayed to the skies above for some sort of relief. The following day when she woke, seeds carried by birds started to fall from the sky, and along with it, rain. The rain wasn’t enough to fill the rivers and lakes once again, but it allowed the seeds to grow in just mere minutes. Boiling the plants in water just as she would have done with fish and combining the fluffy grain with spices, a warm meal was made. The girl went to bed that night with a tummy well fed, and the cats of Castellum would never starve again.

Preferences

 * Fish of various types, (cooked, modern cat people may get salmonella from raw fish, similar to regular humans)
 * Narayakan & Yaikian cats prefer fish from the Voclarian Sea
 * Pompaelian & Southern cats prefer freshwater fish

Dishes

 * Yu’baofan (魚包飯) Wrapped fish w/ rice inside and wrapped in thin sheets of seaweed. Common in Pompaelo
 * Tiáowèiyú (調味魚) a kind of fish, often served with any type of rice, milk tea, or any other beverage. Common across Castellum
 * Yúdòufutāng (魚豆腐湯) a type of soup with baked or grilled fish, combined with various vegetables and tofu. Common in Pompaelo & Narayako
 * Xiārénchǎofàn (蝦仁炒飯) a type of stir-fried shrimp combined with fried rice and some vegetables. Common across Castellum
 * Jīròucāomǐ (雞肉糙米) a type of stir-fried or baked chicken, often served with brown, fried, or white rice depending on area. Common across Míyenxin
 * Kǎoyúpèi'miànbāo (烤魚配麵包) a type of baked/grilled fish, often served with any type of bread, common across Míyenxin
 * Niúnǎi'miànbāo (牛奶麵包) a type of bread often combined with milk, served with baked fish on special occasions, common in Pompaelo

Ingredients

 * Fish sauce from fermenting certain seawater fishes
 * Rice, sourced primarily from Narayako or Yaika
 * Various fruits, particularly fig
 * Various forms of Tofu in both sweet and savory dishes

Family Structure
Catfolks have villages often dominated by a large clan that often seeks to harbor incoming outsiders. Being adopted into any clan in a village is often the official way to be accepted in the community. Kits from any member of the village are raised together by the community, traditional roles of father and mother as observed in humans are shared between most adult Catfolks.

Castellum (Kasitai)
Castellum is known for its agricultural and specialized manufacturing and the production of exotic goods, especially silk and porcelain, commonly made in Narayako or Yaika, who also make up the vast majority of production of rice in Castellum, which is then distributed across Míyenxin. Castellum also possesses a sizeable tourist industry, which largely is centered around Pompaelo, which advertises itself as "the Catgirl Captial of Eldham". Castellum also has the equipment needed to produce other goods, such as milk, tea, and other common goods. However, this production of goods is limited due to large portions of Castellum either being desert, or frigid wasteland.

Astillia (Astiliya)
Astillia is known for its production of raw materials and its sizeable maritime industry, having some of the largest mountain ranges in Míyenxin, which possess a plentiful amount of resources. Otter especially possess a rare deep-water port, which has allowed Míyenxin to export and import supplies from foreign nations with ease. Astillia also has a plentiful amount of woodland, especially in the south, although it has been somewhat exhausted.

Ameria
Ameria, despite its significant political history has unfortunately largely been abandoned, however; it was the main province which produced military goods, ranging from vast arrays of armor to a large brewery which is still in use to this day, mostly being used by the Sylvanian Army or various mercenary groups. Ameria also is known as the historical capital of Míyenxin and the wider Aristii world, although this has shifted to Pompaelo as Nyoxuín declined.

Flag of the Second Republic of Aristios (Independent)
The original flag of the Second Republic of Aristios was used between the to the. Before, it had been used to represent the First Republic in archival records kept after the collapse. It was replaced in favor of a redesigned flag around the year of 241 TE. Most notably, this flag would be the basis for all flags that would exist afterwards, with the same design principals still in use today.



Flag of the Second Republic of Aristios (Independent & Archduchy)
This "improved" design of the Republican flag was designed by Beatrice Ambrosia Ruuk with the goal of carving out a unique identity for the new government. The color scheme of the banner changed from a red-white to a red-wine color scheme. It was adopted via a vote in the senate and some of its design principles remain today.

Flag of the Republic of Míyenxin (Archduchy)
This is the current, and so far; final design for the flag of the Republic of Aristios (now "Míyenxin"), with it inheriting an earlier design from one of Beatrice's earlier flag designs which had more of a burgundy color instead of a wine color. It features a restyled laurel reef with the inscription (i forgot what it means the translation is off, cat revolution something something), and the addition of a tricolor banner on the laurel reef. It was installed as the flag of Míyenxin through popular, verbal vote of the government at the time.

Aristii Conservative Coalition Flag (Echo)
This variant of the flag was used by the Aristii Conservative Coalition during their campaign in the only Chancellor election of the Second Republic. Its color scheme is reminiscent of the Aristios-Zamotz Union's and Federal Republic's flags.

Left-Wing Aristii Flag Proposal (Beatrice)
This flag was initially designed by Beatrice, but was never made an actual proposal for the national banner.