Valdreach Imperial Republic

The Valdreach Imperial Republic (commonly known as the VIR, and later known as the Theocratic Empire of Darkness) was a large nation in the southeast of Rathnir. It controlled all of Cymru and most of Sparwood Minor at its peak, as well as colonies in the Akratian Peninsula, Aldovir, Cuiciloa and northern Sørligste. For a time, it was the largest nation, both in terms of land area and population. It fell following a period of increased inactivity among its population, and a coup against the monarchy.

History
The VIR existed from September 25th, 2020 to December 1st, 2020. The exact date it was disbanded is debated, but most sources cite the declaration of independence from Aezenfjord, the capital, as the date the nation ceased to exist.

Founding
Prior to the VIR's formation, the Valdreacher People were spread across three kingdoms: the Kingdom of Falkenland, The Tvear and the Queendom of Caltara; the latter of which was located in Jagdas. When Jagdas fell, the Queen of Caltara - Amelia I von Valdreach - used the power of the Crystal of Sappho remotely to transport her people and those close to her back to Rathnir, giving her life to do so. On the return journey, Amelia II got to know many of the other people her mother had sent back, mainly President Noodles of the Bimare Federation and those Hju Bolverkr had met in the Eastarctic Empire. Together they agreed to form a nation in Rathnir upon their return and Amelia II planned to fulfill her divine mandate to found and rule Aezenfjord which her mother had cast off in favor of settling in Jagdas. Upon their arrival through the void between worlds, the Jagdesians found themselves on the northernmost point of Sparwood Minor, where they set up camp. Amelia II made many journeys south to make contact with the Valdreacher nations to inform them of the return and invite them to negotiations. In the makeshift camp on September 25th, 2020, the leaders agreed to unify into one state and signed a constitution, officially creating the Valdreach Imperial Republic. Several days later, a monument was erected in the camp to mark the occasion and its inhabitants moved south to found the capital, Aezenfjord.

Government
See: Constitution of the Valdreach Imperial Republic

The government of the VIR was a federation ruled by a diarchal executive branch, and an elected representative legislative branch.

The dual heads of state were the Monarch, a hereditary position, and the President, a position elected by the Circle of Speakers. The Monarch's primary focus was on the interior, whereas the President focused more on foreign affairs. Both held veto power over the Circle of Speakers in certain scenarios. The Monarch held the right to appoint Imperial Advisors to aid them in matters they saw fit, however nominees had to be approved by the president.

The Circle of Speakers was a body of representatives sent by the provinces and territories to elect the president and vote on laws, among other duties. The Circle was overseen by the The leader of each territory held the right to appoint a Speaker, whereas provinces were required to elect one, where each citizen had the right to vote. Territorial Speakers held exactly 1 vote, whereas provincial speakers' vote weight was at minimum 2, and calculated based on the population of the province. Provinces were more integrated than territories but had greater, more democratic representation in the Circle of Speakers. Territories operated as independent states who pledged their allegiance to the federal government and agreed to send troops if requested by the Monarch and President while granted emergency powers by the Circle of Speakers.

The nation planned to implement a Judicial body overseen by the state religion, the Imperial Temple, however this was never implemented.

Religion and Culture
The Valdreach Imperial Republic was a highly diverse nation, both culturally and religiously. The nation allowed its citizens to practice any religion, however the Imperial Temple was the official religion and the culture of the three core provinces was by far the most dominant force in the nation for its entire history.

Valdreacher Culture
Main article: Valdreacher People

The Valdreacher people originated from the forests and jungles of western Cymru, where they lived as semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers for hundreds of years. Little is known about this time due do the lack of a writing system. Historically, Valdreacher Culture centered itself around the Hjus system, by which the descendants of royalty and folk heros would organize themselves in tribes or clans. With the foundation the Kingdom of Falkenland however, the importance of the Hjus diminished as most ended their semi-nomadic lifestyles and were united under a single banner.

Valdreacher Language
Main Article: Viðrzhoneg

The people of Valdreach developed a language of their own, which is suspected to have developed hundreds of years ago along with the people's culture. Despite this however, almost all Valdreacher people choose to use Traveler's Tongue for both communication and literature. This phenomena extends to such a degree that Valdreacher proper names are replaced with versions more in line with Traveler's Tongue. The primary example being "Valdreach," itself adapted from the native word "Viðretta." meaning "the reach of the woods." While the language lacks a writing system, ancient stone plates have been uncovered featuring runes. Some of which have been deciphered, most notably the Book of Ren (Book of True Names) which details many of the gods in the Valdreach Pantheon and is rumoured to be connected with Abyss Mysticism.

Imperial Temple
Main article: Valdreach Pantheon

The Imperial Temple was a religion formed to formally organize the existing pantheon worshiped by the Valdreacher people and incorporate beliefs from other people groups. It was the official religion of the Valdreach Imperial Republic. After the rebellion, the influence of the Temple grew greatly under the rule of God-Empress Khara. The principles of demcracy were reduced to a mere facade in favour of theocratic rule, with numerous resources disappearing without trace. This period was finalized by the Fall of VIR, a half-legendary event when the empire was supposedly torn apart and reduced to ash in a conflict of demigods, whose sudden rise and fall is connected to the Imperial Temple, and possible machinations of the Abyss Mystics, who were said to hold great power within the organization. Some say that during its last days, the Republic itself was nothing more than a puppet state to their machinations.