SAPMA

The Southern Alteniquian Pact of Mutual Assistance was an economic and military alliance that encompassed the independent and sovereign nations of the region of Aldovir, also known as South Alteniquia. Championed by the Archon of Sironia, Ythar II, this alliance was the first step taken towards the absolute unification of the subcontinent, a feat that would only be achieved months later per the Treaty of Roscella and subsequent foundation of the Empire of Aldovir.

Foundation
The S.A.P.M.A. was established by the Second Kingdom of Sironia and the Order of Grizagel in response to the acquisition of worrying intelligence surrounding Theios-Essukdal's ambitions to assert direct control over all of Alteniquia.

Seeking military aid in the event of an Essukdalad invasion, the Archon of Sironia, Ythar II, embarked on a long set of trips through the whole of Aldovir in which he met with the leaders of all independent Aldoviri states - the Republic of Cobbleworks, led by Nopper, the High King of the Boreans; the Hinokuko Imperium, led by Runik; the Naitorattorian Republic, led by Digghappy and the Kingdom of Yürki, led by ThyFuto - and requested their support.

Of these nations, none refused Ythar's call for aid.

Though the alliance was never tested in wartime, it wouldn't be unfair to claim that it was entirely useless. Following the proclamation of the alliance, Essukdalad envoys became noticeably less aggressive and no longer openly sought to accomplish their ambition of dominating the whole of Aldovir, claiming instead that Theios-Essukdal would pursue the "Mistic Doctrine", according to which any foreign or unrecognized nation who settled in Alteniquia would be branded an enemy of the Essukdalad state and be dealt with as such.

Rising Tensions
Though the S.A.P.M.A. managed to unite the free realms of Aldovir behind a single goal, it would not be true to claim that relations between said countries were entirely amicable. Before requesting High King Nopper to have his nation - the Republic of Cobbleworks - enter the alliance, the Archon of Sironia made a different proposal: to have Cobbleworks join Sironia as an autonomous province.

This request, though immediately declined, earned the ire of the Cobbleworks' high government, who began to sent scouts into Sironian territory to assess their neighbouring nation's development and activity. These scouts returned with rather interesting news: Sironia was undoubtedly a decaying nation, with the entirety of the population being concentrated on the capital of Noukazethvir, and the countryside remaining scarred by widespread abandon and looting, It soon proved apparent that Sironia was in economic, military and civic ruin and would, in no scenario, present any form of meaningful opposition to any threats that S.A.P.M.A. sought to defend all of Aldovir from, chiefly Theios-Essukdal.

Dissolution
This revelation caused widespread fear in the halls of Cobblework Mines, where the provincial governors discussed how their nation was, in practice, the only militarily significant member of the alliance and how their strength was surely insufficient to combat that of any foreign threats. After a bout of rather lively discussions, the council readily agreed that change had to happen in the other members of the alliance for Aldovir to stand a chance at defending itself.

Noting that, despite its present state, Sironia had once stood at the center of Rathnir's politics, playing a key role in not only the course of Alteniquia but also that of the whole of Rathnir as one of the spearheads of the First and Second Rathnir Coalitions, the council evaluated Sironia's problems to be rooted in its then-incumbent leader, Archon Ythar II, who had - in the council's eyes - forsaken the nation's culture and history, neglected any settlements located beyond the Holy Peninsula and accrued ludicrous expenses, causing significant dents in the state's treasury. Due to this, the council found Archon Ythar II to be unworthy of sitting on the Sironian throne.

This sentiment was shared by former Archon of Sironia Uthr Caicuria, who was heartbroken to see his former homeland in such a sorry state. Upon being shown the many abandoned villages and hamlets that once dotted the Sironian archonate, he vowed to do everything in his power to restore Sironia to its former heights. Nopper, High King of the Boreans, pledged his support to the Lord Caicuria, followed by the whole of Cobbleworks.

Mere days later, when Uthr Caicuria - backed by regiments bearing shields engraved with the sigil of Cobbleworks - crossed the swamp of Myrmark, all of Aldovir knew that the subcontinent would be tied together no longer. Though no official acknowledgement of such an event was made by any realm, it was understood that S.A.P.M.A. as a project, or even as an idea, had been cast to the wayside and that the pact had been dissolved.