Valore

"Update: Unad/Claire/Foerce/Sophie DID NOT pass away. It was a scheme that consisted guilt-tripping people into handing land to them and starting a pity party about leaving Minecraft only to join back on the same day they made the announcement on an alt account. However, DO NOT witch hunt them."'''Update: Valore is gone. An internal power struggle between Speaker Aegeus and Foerce led to the downfall of this once mighty republic. The As'rian Commonwealth now occupies the lands Valore once held.'''

The Republic of Valore, commonly known as Valore or R.O.V, is a country primarily located in the region of Katsura, on the continent of Eldham. It consists of 5 states and 1 overseas municipality. At around 4 000 000 m2, it is a medium-sized nation in comparison to its other Eldham nations. It shares 2 direct land borders with the nations of Yaszuma and Donfuer. It also shares 3 direct maritime borders with the nations of Tetra, Qadakh and Stone Manor. It also shares indirect maritime borders with the nations of Varn Torum, Gunjou, Aristios, Sethris and Titan's Rest.

It has a population of 121 citizens at the time of writing, which makes it one of the larger nations in Eldham, which is remarkable, especially for its size. The nation's capital is New Auxe, with a population of 40. Other notable cities include Gallano, Solhom, Tempesta and Lumiere.

Pre-Qwe'tsn
The Pre-Qwe'tsn period of Valore is a period that little is known about. A native people called the Iridani originally lived in the area, but they disappeared over time. There was at least one Kingdom in the general area, the Kingdom of Alsocse, but it too disappeared. Alsocse was located centrally in modern day Solhom.

Qwe'tsn
The Qwe'tsn were a mighty culture originating from a land up north. They were warriors, and lusted for blood. It is well-known that the Qwe'tsn were actually a splinter group of a much larger culture called the Lar'cio, who were coincidentally also a bloodthirsty, warrior culture.

The Qwe'tsn arrived to a relatively empty continent, so, they got to conquering. They set up their capital of Yuv'aen, and began taking more and more land, expanding further to the north, south, and slightly to the easy, until they ran into the other growing force on the continent, the Umarin.

The Qwe'tsn decided it would be best not to provoke the literally flying elves, and settled down for a bit. They developed an affinity for the arts and theatre, setting the stage for Valore to become the cultural capital of Eldham with theatre, art, cuisine, fashion, and so much more.

After a time, they annexed the Torumain peninsula, and assimilated the Torumain dwarves, who were less than happy to be ruled by a emperor, who was not only far away, but also not a dwarf. This, combined with the increased fear that the Umarin would attack them, the Qwe'tsn began to build up their army.

On the day of Empress Asralyn's coronation, the Umarin, with a little help from their Torumain friends, pushed deep into the Qwe'tsn mainland, taking the Leilani farmlands (modern day New Auxe) and taking Ogon's Bay (modern day Solhom). In retaliation, the new Empress retaliated and gathered her forces for an assault.

However, this is not how it went, at least according to Umakwan monasteries. According to the Umarin, the Qwe'tsn attacked first, with the first words of the Empress being an order to invade Umakwa. The Umarin claim to have simply retaliated and drove the Qwe'tsn back so they wouldn't bother them again.

However the story goes, it always ends with the Empress Asralyn agreeing to give up her throne and dissolve the Qwe'tsn Empire.

Windwalkers
In between the arrival of the Windwalkers, and the collapse of the Qwe'tsn Empire, 400 years passed. During this time, the cities of the Qwe'tsn fell into disrepair and irrelavance.

Culture
As Valore was originally a private colony, it does not have as much culture as the nations surrounding it do, however, they still value knowledge and the arts deeply. Great thinkers and artists are highly respected in the nation.

Verdenlange
During the Verdenland Era, Verdenland needed a code to secretly pass messages. Developed by Aldern Thibeus, Verdenlange was a half-creole, half-original language, which took inspiration from Chinese and French to form the basis of it. It would be later rediscovered as Valore reclaimed its national identity, and would eventually become an official language, alongside Traveler's Tongue.

Cuisine
The typical Valoran diet consists of baked potatoes, rice and bread from wheat, and various herbs and spices. In the past, in the plains where New Auxe now resides, the Leilani farmlands used to feed the entire nation. They produced enormous amounts of wheat and other food products to generate wealth and feed the population. However, after New Auxe began construction, it became obvious that Valore would need to find its food supplies elsewhere. Gallano would be the first answer. Located in the middle of the Leilani Birches, the small farming village basically turned into a bustling city overnight, with large amounts of potatoes being produced.

However, this would not be enough to satisfy the growing needs of Valore's population, so they turned elsewhere, to a recently risen island from the depths, Lumiere Island, off the coast of Varn Torum in the middle of the Torumain Sea. They quickly claimed it, and began construction on Lumiere City, which would be its own beauty. However, the real profit was from the ripe plains surrounding the city. Plantations began appearing, and soon, the entire island which was not covered by Lumiere City would be covered in farmland.

A classic Valoran homemade dish would be sautéed potatoes topped with sea salt and rosemary.* The ingredients are below.

Put the whole unpeeled potatoes in a pan of water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Can be done several hours ahead. When ready to serve, strip the skins from the potatoes, then cut them into thick slices. Heat the oils together in a very large non-stick pan. Add the potatoes in a single layer if there is room, and cook for 10-15 minutes, tuning them frequently with a fish slice until they are golden and crispy. Sprinkle with the rosemary and flaky salt, then serve.

Another classic Valoran dish would be baked sea bass with lemon caper dressing.** The ingredients are below.

To make the dressing, mix the oil with the lemon zest and juice, capers, mustard, some seasoning and 1 tbsp water. Don't add the parsley yet (unless serving straight away) as the acid in the lemon will fade the colour if they are left together for too long. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and put the fish, skin-side up, on top. Brush the skin with oil and sprinkle with some flaky salt. Bake for 7 mins or until the flesh flakes when tested with a knife. Arrange the fish on warm serving plates, spoon over the dressing and scatter with extra parsley leaves, if you like.

Fashion
Internationally, Valore is known as the "fashion capital", and for good reason. The nation is widely known for holding extravagant fashion contests, as well as being the largest producer of dresses and suits in all of Eldham, providing outfits to nobles and nation leaders across the world. Famous fashion designers include Lafeyette de Monet, Zoé Laurens, and Jules Thoreau.

Monet was most known for his skill of mixing patterns. He famously used a technique he designed called "mélange de motifs", which used a specific ratio devloped for each of his designs to produce pleasing visuals. Laurens and Thoreau were both known for using colours to turn basic outfits into something fresh and pleasing. They harmonized tops and jackets with similar colours, juxtaposed brights and neutrals, ending up with casual but elegant designs.

Typical modern Valoran fashion is often gender-open, with outfits being designed for all genders. A common masculine-leaning outfit utilises tweed jackets, vests, and a cotton twill sleeved shirt coupled with linen dress-pants to produce a common designs. A common feminine-leaning design utilises a long-sleeved silk blouse, with a rayon skirt, which are fastened with leather belts to the blouse, with either a soft wool fedora or a wool beret to top the outfit off.

Of course, different eras and different states of Valore have their own unique styles. The most famous of them would be modern Auxian Chic. The style is known for its sleek, cotton dresses and well-tailored leather coats and jackets. The chic also heavily relies on capes, fedoras, and canes to top off its designs. A commonly found outfit in the Auxian middle-class would be leather-linen blend jackets with long sleeved, chequered, flannel shirts, and cotton pants, topped off with a cane and a leather fedora.

Another widely known style would be Eianwardism. It is the opposite of Auxian style, utilising heavy, striped coats and tailored jeans, with top hats to signify wealth and quality of life, used by the very rich. The style is most promienent in San Ravenna and Solhom, the twin cities of Entrepenuers and Businessmen. Lumieran and Ermontian Chics are also quite well known, as they are extremely similar. Lumieran Chic is quite opposed to the non-gendered style of Valore, prefering to have explicitly feminine and masculine styles.

The most common feminine outfit worn is worn by the upper-middle-class, and consists of a single breasted coat, a crew neck cardigan sweater, and tweed pants. It is a simple outfit, but works wonders in fashion shows. Ermontian Chic is most well known for its extremely simple designs, most notably this following design worn by the middle-class, which consists of just 2 fashion items, a rayon long sleeve shirt dress, and a leather belt.

Music
Valoran music is known for its long, drawn out piano solos coupled with the soft singing of lyrics in Verdenlange. Valoran musicians also incorporated strings, usually a viola, cello, or an upright bass, which became standard instruments for chamber ensembles and smaller orchestras. At the same time, the guitar became more typically associated with six-string models, rather than traditional five-string versions.

Valoran Blues is a prime example of this, mixing acoustic, nylon and steel stringed guitars with the soft playing of a single piano as well as a viola and a bass. Valoran Jazz is also another well-known style of music. It originates from the farming town of Vienne, usually played with a saxophone, a piano, and a bass, in slow, low-paced beats.

The piano will play low chords, whilst the saxophone and bass will accompany it, sometimes playing 2 or 3 beats behind to give momentum to the whole song. A well known song is "Je pense donc je suis", translating to "I think, therefore I am". It is a variation of Valoran Jazz, instead playing the saxophone and bass by 5 beats to create an ethereal atmosphere of echoes.

Art
Valoran Art can be classified into 9 distinct periods. The first, Tsnism (Anglicised: Senism), which focused on art depicting paintings of Emperors in the Qwe'tsn Empire. A portrait of Emperor Had'di Shallom VI can be found in the Nov'tsn Museum in New Auxe, which perfectly displays the styles of the period. Human figures bow to the Emperor, as he looks upon them, light shining from his sceptre.

This period ended with the ending of the Shallom bloodline, giving rise to the Terraic art period, which focused much more heavily on backgrounds and nature. The last of the Qwe'tsn art periods was the Recession, which took place from the Qwe'tsn Empire's defeat at the Crimson River to the dissolution of the Empire just 20 years later. It focused on depressive scenes of people descending to Helos, the "Hell" of Vanirii.

After these 3 periods, art was not widely created in the area for hundreds of years, until about 400 years later, when Windwalker migrants began influencing the region. This gave birth to the fourth art period, known as Lumisc, a word in Windwalker tongue translating to "light". The period is known for its focus on objects like wheat, or flowers, or common-people, as the Windwalkers were fascinated by these things.

This period lasted about 250 years, ending when Umarin settlers began entering the region. The next period would be known as the Neo-Terraic, which was a rebirth of the Terraic art period, which had died out over thousands of years before. It, like the Terraic, focused on landscapes. This period would last about 390 years, until the discovery of Eldham by Athaz the Travellor.

The arrival of the Verdenland privateers would spell the end of the Neo-Terraic, and the start of Expressionism. Expressionism was created as a middle-ground between the Lumisc and Neo-Terraic. The period is known for its unique style, using inverted colours to paint, creating a sort of Neo-Realism. The Lumisc and Neo-Terraic styles were also incorporated with the use of objects in the foreground and landscapes in the background.

The next period would be Art Nouveau, which was a general evolution of what Expressionism was. It moved further away from the Lumisc and Neo-Terraic styles, and more towards anti-realism. The inverted colours were carried over, but they were modified to be more pleasing to the eye with warmer colours. Also, painters would often paint in random objects like flowers and furniture to sometimes replace an element of the painting.

The next period would be sparked by the Valoran independence movement, and started with the reformation of Verdenland into Valore. This would be called Surrealism. This would become the peak of anti-realism in Valoran art. Surrealism is highly psychological, and many Surrealist artists would paint directly from their dreams. Sometimes dealing with uncomfortable concepts, hidden desires, and taboos, Surrealism was a direct critique of the ingrained ideas and beliefs of the bourgeoise, which was started with the overthrowing of the King of Verdenland.

Finally, art began to move away from anti-realism as Valoran art entered the latest stage in its life, Minimalism. Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through taking away all non-essential forms, features or concepts.

Architecture
Valoran architecture doesn't follow one simple style, rather, a blend of styles from Rathniri and Eldhamian nations alike has create an interesting creole style. Like Valoran art, there are architectural time periods. For Valoran architecture, there are 5 distinct periods wherein the architecture is changed or improved on.

The first of these periods is the Pre-Tsn period, which was named for the Qwe'tsn Empire. This lasted from about 11,000 years ago to about 3,000 years ago. Most architecture during this period was constructed earthen mounds, stone circles, megaliths, and structures that often puzzle modern-day archaeologists. The dawn of architecture is found in these structures.

The second of these periods is the Tsnic period, named for the height of the Qwe'tsn Empire's architectural prowess. This lasted from about 3,000 to 1,000 years ago. Architecture during this period was very cautiously made, and it is obvious that the architects of Qwe'tsn took great pride in their work. Most buildings during this period were constructed from wood and terracotta, the most notable being the Qwe'tsn capital of Yuv'aen, which was meticulously designed to survive almost anything. The ruins of Yuv'aen can still be found in Elgaia Lake, north of the Valoran town of Elgaia.

The third period is known as the Windwalkic period, which focused on Windwalker architecture. Structures during this period were constructed by the Soro windus sapius, an intelligent subspecies of the Windwalker species. They consisted mostly of great towers and mounds, which were mostly used to worship deities. The fourth period is known as the Yaszumatti integration, and most structures during this period were built by Yaszumatti migrants and traders.

This built on the Windwalkic style, and integrated a lot of Yaszumatti building style into the architecture. The fifth and final period is known as the Verdenic period, and was developed alongside the nations of Verdenland and later Valore. This period is the most visually distinct, completely ignoring the previous 4 periods, and developing a style unlike any other. This style would be characterised by its colourful, symmetrical buildings.

Literature
Valoran literature is predominantly written in either Traveler's Tongue or Verdenlange in the Republic of Valore, its preceding nation of Verdenland. Like Art, Architecture and Music, it too has different periods, defined not by style, but by the writers who were most prominent. In total, there have been 3 distinct literature periods. The first of these was the pre-colonial period, defined by Windwalkic, Yaszuamatti, and Qwe'tsni authors such as Ine Kon'isci and Aki'ra Mino'sumi.

During this period, genres were defined, like the Heavy-Fiction genre, which would come to dominate Valoran literature for centuries to come. Not only that, but Historical Dramas would also be popularised, as Yaszumatti writers specifically wrote about historical figures, but taking some poetic licencse along the way.

The Tale of Kinnomachi, which followed the pilgrammage of a lowly monk by the same name to a cluster of sky islands, would become especially popular for its powerful lessons of morality and perspective. The next period was the Verdenic Revolution, which roped in the Verdenland settlers, who brought their own special literature to the table, Horror, Romance, and most importantly of all, Poetry. Verdenic Poetry would come to define Eldham's literature scene for years to come. Meanwhile, Pre-Colonial literature styles would be mixed into this cultural mixing pot.

The next style would be brought about from Valoran independence, and would be called the Anti-Monarchic period, and would be heavily be defined by the first few speakers of Valore, Aldern Foerce, Thayn Chew, Agetio Sekovich. They would write essays, poems and prose, calling out monarchs, emperors, and anybody who didn't give their people the basic right to free speech, and then smuggle these into kingdoms and empires. A collection of these, aptly named the Speaker Collection, was created and complied a few years later by Aldern and his husband, Robras.

Theater & Plays
Theatre and Plays played a big role in the development of culture and a sense of unity amongst Valorans. The origins of Valoran theatre date back to early Qwe'tsn influences, about 2500 years ago. Like with all other categories here, theatre has periods. There have been 4 distinct periods of theatre. The first of these was the Qwe'tsn theatre period. Qwe'tsn theatre was usually performed in open areas, with makeshift stages made out of wood being the first places where theatre was first performed.

Qwe'tsn theatre can be defined by its influence over the following theatre periods, and its melo-dramatic performances which were usually performed with comedic touches. The next period was Windwalker theatre, which took heavy inspiration and expanded upon Qwe'tsn theatre considerably. The most notable change was that theatre was now being held in locations known as Evyin, which were massive public spaces in nature which were decorated with details and objects.

Windwalker theatre was heavily focused around themes of kindness and respect of nature, possibly to teach younglings moral lessons. The next period was Verdenland theatre, and here is the part where theatre begins to modernise and grow. Verdenland theatre was split between influences from Rathnir and Windwalker theatre, which created interesting theatre to watch. Verdenland theatre can be defined by its portrayal of historical Rathniri events, such as the fall of Almador or the rise of Bardonia.

Lastly, Valoran theatre. Valoran theatre is considered the biggest move away from previous periods.

Demographics
As a private colony orignally, Verdenland settlers were made up of citizens who came mostly from Rathnir. A recent census showed that 56.8% of the population was born in Rathnir. 22.3% of these 56.8% alone were from Uldarash, 10.9% were from Viodoxa, 8.7% were from Bardonia, and so on and so forth. About 32.1% of the population is from Eldham, with about 68.5% saying they immigrated from other Eldham nations, whilst the others said they were born in Valore.

Names
In the Republic of Valore, names are mostly made up of mixes of Verdenlange, Highlandic, and Yaszumatti. The most popular first names are Will'ia, Umaruis, Asra, Lumi'tsi. These names are usually Verdenlange in origin, then mixed with Highlandic's signature " ' ", then finally mixed with Yaszumatti names. Common surnames are much more exclusive, common ones include Lafeyette, Monet, Moreau, Florence, Bardon, Harris, Holmes, O'ron, Abe, Art'irito, Ono'rij, Hon'ru, and more. Some of these surnames are hyphonated, like Lafeyette-O, Ono'rij, a common surname amongst Auxians, or Monet-Hon'ru.

Religions
In Valore, whilst there is freedom of religion, there are some religions that are more followed than others. Soleannen is the most followed religion in Valore, with nearly 20% of the population following the religion. Following Soleannen is Anduism, at 15.8% of the population. Following Anduism is Twin Dragon, comprising of 10.3% of the population. The rest are either atheistic, or follow a less-known religion. Local religions are Anduism, The Lunarian Triune, the Cult of the Fire God, and Potatoism.

Races
As of the time of writing, there are 3 main races in the Republic of Valore. Humans, Windwalkers, and Umarín. Humans are the most prevalent, making up over 70% of the population. Windwalkers and Umarín make up about the same amount, 10%. The Umarín population are mostly immigrants from Yaszuma, and the Windwalkers are mostly native species, and have lived in the Valore region for nearly 600 years.

The Umarín are an elven group that split from the Celestial Elves hundreds of years ago. They created and adapted to live in the sky islands of Eldham and acquired a sometimes more sapphire-toned skin along with a shorter stature compared to the Celestial Elves. Most of the Umarin population in Valore is made up of traders from Yaszuma. The Umarin have co-existed with Windwalkers for hundreds of years following the Umakwan invasion of Qwe'tsn.

The human population is mainly made of those who came on the Verdenland private expedition. There are also smaller populations of Tetszotti and Torumain dwarves, as well Vulpurs, and Goblins.

Traditions
Though a colonial nation with only a few years of history, the Republic of Valore is still densely packed with traditions mixed together by its population of immigrants from so many Rathniri nations.

Ceremonies
On the 4th day of the first month every year, Valore celebrates its independence, which consists mainly of parades, cheap beer and liquor, and fireworks. Due to Soleannen being the most popular religion in Valore, several Soleannen ceremonies are celebrated in Valore and some are even counted as national holidays. Anduistic ceremonies are also celebrated, and some are counted as national holidays, like Soleannen.

Weddings are traditionally, regardless of gender, held on Sundays, and usually the party that proposes will be the one that stands by the altar, meanwhile, the party that got proposed to will walk down the aisle.

Allied Wars
The Republic of Valore has taken part in many wars since its founding. It was a member of the Limuria Defence Force, and helped defend Limuria from Skjobrodir in the Limuria-Skjobrodir War, providing war materials and weapons. It also fought in the Kunir War, on the side of the USSE. After the war ended, and the USSE was reduced, they offered Valore as a place for people who were displaced by the war to go to.

The Tempesta Rebellion
On the 22nd of July, the City of Tempesta, allied with the then candidate for Speaker, Slayden, attempted to rebel and coup Valore's leaders. Their reason for this was because of multiple bandit raids, not allowing them to build Tempesta. Their tactics were simple. Find a time wherein most of Valore was asleep or offline, then take the Trading City of Solhom, before rowing down the river to take New Auxe.

A citizen of Solhom, Barktree, found out the plot, and decided to infiltrate their lines and act as though he was joining them. He took as much information as possible, and handed it to Aldern Thibeus and Thayn Chew. Thayn Chew decided to confront the rebels. The leader of the coup admitted to it, and the rebel leader Slayden was promptly kicked out of the nation. After a day of negotiations, it would be agreed on that Tempesta would rejoin the nation in return for Valore taking more control over it.

The Qadakh Secession Crisis
On the 3rd of August, the City of Qadakh, due to increasing tensions with their parent nation of Tetra, chose to secede from it, to form the Free City of Qadakh. Tetra immediately requested that the Northern Lights take action against the rebellion. Valore itself sent out a statement denouncing Qadakh, calling it "City of Plebs", and pledging their support to Tetra.

On the 4th of August, Qadakh made a document that was sent to the Northern Lights, containing a good amount of evidence it had against Tetra. Inside, also contained attacks on several nations who sent denouncements to Qadakh, including Valore. Qadakh claimed that since Valore itself came from a secessionist state, that it should side with them. By this time, the twin speakers of Valore, Thayn Choo and Agetio Sekovich, had already been drifting towards Qadakh's side of the argument.

But, more trouble was yet to come when MintCal, the Sultan of Tetra, started insulting the Northern Lights' leaders, Yaszuma, and its leaders targeted. Soko, the Queen of Yaszuma, was told by MintCal to quote "go kill herself". MintCal also proceded to insult Varn Torum and Valore, calling them turncoats. This was the final nail in the coffin, and Valore officially sided with Qadakh the next day. After many weeks of silence, Qadakh was bought by Nova Regna, ending the crisis.

Alliances
Valore is part of several alliances and non-aggression treaties.

Northern Lights
Firstly, it is a member of the aformentioned Northern Lights Coalition. Originally, Verdenland was not part of the Northern Lights, and Valore's creation had almost lead to Verdenland joining the alliance just to defeat an internal threat. Luckily for Valore, Verdenland chose not to and shortly thereafter disbanded. Valore quickly joined the Northern Lights in a 11-0 vote. They became a big member in the alliance, and is the 2rd biggest in terms of land size, and the 3rd biggest in terms of population. Update: Valore is no longer part of the Northern Lights Alliance, thanks to someone.

Defensive Pacts
Secondly, they have 2 defensive pacts with the nations of Redoriv (Before known as the Kingdom of Florandia), as well as Limuria. The latter pact was signed shortly before the Battle of Skjolbrodir, and was agreed upon by Aldern Thibeus of Valore, and Draphonis of Limuria. The former was signed on the 7th of July, and was meant to strengthen ties between the 2 fledgling nations. It was agreed upon by Thayn Chew of Valore, and Kyborg1000. Both pacts are purely defensive.

NAPs
Lastly, they have multiple NAPs with nations around the world of Eldham. Their NAPs are: The United Socialist States of Eldham, the Confederation of Garxijos, Druk Yul, Uldarash, and Aurum Solis.

Government Structure
The Republic of Valore, is, as stated before, a representative democracy. It has a Senate, which is filled with representatives from cities across the nation. The Senate is run by one of the two Speakers in Valore. At any given time, Valore must have 2 speakers. They are there to ensure that the other does not end up getting corrupt and power hungry.

Government History
The Republic of Valore has gone through 3 governments, and is currently on its fourth. It is common to see government officials either reappearing, or changing positions between governments. All 4 governments were democratically elected.

The Fall of Valore
During the election of the 5th government of Valore, Sen. Nimrond of Gallano and Sen. Aegeus of Elgaia were elected in a tight and contentious race. Sen. Nimrond was popular with the richer, more developed East that had dominated Valorian politics for many years. Sen. Aegeus, however, ran as an outsider. His campaign appealed to the poor and undeveloped, but quickly growing West. With his election, many of the political elites in the East were suspicious of his motives. What worried them also was the fact, with this new election, that the Eastern cities had lost their majority to the Western cities in the Senate chamber. The Elites were worried but hoped that Nimrond would counteract any of Aegeus's moves that they, the Elites, didn't like. However, as inauguration day drew closer, Nimrond became violently ill. As his illness became worse, He eventually went into a coma. It was apparent to everyone that Nimrond would not be able to serve his position as Speaker. In an emergency meeting, the senate decided to make Thayn Choo the speakership until Nimrond was, hopefully, able to get better. This resolved the issue for the time being as both Aegeus and Thayn were inaugurated in time. This prevented Valore from looking weak on the international stage. With this, It seemed like everything would be fine. Thayn had a large base of support from both sides of the nation. However, this was only the beginning of Valore's problems. Many of the Easterners criticized Aegeus's cabinet, as almost all of them were from Western Valore and many of them had no experience in the Valorian government. It would only go downhill from there. Not even a week into the 5th government, Rep. Foerce, an outspoken critic of Aegeus, published in his newspaper, The Weekly Auxian, a report that Aegeus was planning to change Valore into an empire and merge with Rasteria, which was then led by his relative, Choco. This opened up a fundamental split in Valore. This news of a merger outraged the citizens of the East, as they were strong supporters of democracy and abhorred the idea of an empire. The West, however, were supportive of this idea and were believers in a strong government unhampered by government bureaucracy. This ultimately led to an emergency senate meeting in New Auxe, the capital of Valore. This meeting had little to no order, as both Foerce and Aegeus yelled and argued at each other with no clear progress being made at resolving the issue. Foerce called Aegeus a traitor, a person who was only trying to benefit himself and those close to him. Foerce also accused Aegeus of being an agent for Aristios, a major enemy of Valore. Aegeus argued that Foerce had taken his words out of context and was only going to go through with the merger if the senate approved it. Thayn tried his best at moderating this chaotic meeting, but nothing seemed to bring any semblance of either civility or order. Outside the Senate Chamber, it was even worse. Protesters and counter-protesters had gathered and were clashing in New Auxe. Rioting and looting took place, not only in New Auxe but all around Eastern Valore. Many towns and stores were burned to the ground. Many people, East and West, died. Order was only restored when both Aegeus and Thayn demanded an end to violence. After this night of violence, many Valorians began to leave. Many of them, especially Easterners, had lost everything in the rioting and were convinced that the end of a democratic Valore was near. The people fled in droves, going to nearby nations such as Qadakh and Yaszuma. Even Thayn retired from Speakership and went back to his homeland of Paloro. With only Aegeus in charge and the Senate against them, many of the Eastern elites left, convinced that the merger and death of the democratic institutions in Valore were inevitable. Only a couple of days later, the Senate convened for the last time, with their final vote being to approve the merger. With this merger, Valore turned into The As'rian Commonwealth, an empire with Aegeus at its head. Rep. Foerce, in a last-ditch attempt to save democracy, declared the independence of the State of Avant, a group of a couple of Eastern cities who disliked this new Empire. Avant received a great deal of support, as there were still many democratic supporters in Valore who opposed the Empire. Also, many of the Easterners who had left were willing to come back and restore the democratic institutions of Valore. However, before anything substantial could happen, Rep. Foerce disappeared, never to be seen or heard ever again. Feeling scammed and cheated, almost all of them gave up on the hope of Valore ever coming back and they left for good. Thus brings us to today, or at least to the time of this writing. The As'rian Commonwealth, in the beginning, had internal struggles, but now things are stabilizing with them becoming an Uraka protectorate. The West is now the most prosperous and populous part of the country, with new cities and buildings being built every day. The East, however, has become stagnant, with wounds of the rioting many months ago still apparent. The cities there are almost like ghost towns. Cities, that were once the most populous in all of the Northeast, have a population that is around a tenth of what they once were. With little to no construction happening anywhere in the East and signs still reflecting messages of a bygone era, the East's fall from grace is apparent. Thus is the state of the lands in the former Valore Republic. What happens now to this wonderful land is in the hands of Aegeus and his allies. Take whatever moral one so desires from this story, but keep in mind that great things can disappear in an instant. This spectacular collapse only happened in a matter of weeks, so remember, cherish the present, enjoy the good times, and always be mindful of the future.

-Agetio Sekovich, Former Speaker of Valore