United Socialist States of Eldham

The United Socialist States of Eldham (USSE) is a Xeroist socialist nation in the far Southeast of Eldham; primarily on the continent of Serrona. It was founded by Aboniert Ormnidus and is currently led by General Secretary Lethe of Laria. The capital city of the nation is presently Kaxkaya.

It is among the longest surviving governments in all of Eldham, with it never being truly altered or reformed since its inception, to date it has had eleven General Secretaries.

History
Main Article: United Socialist States of Eldham/History

Prehistory
Most knowledge of the prehistoric lands that make up the USSE come from paleontological deposits dating to the Loanian and Qalmanian periods. Fossils such as that of Venatopods and the well-described Atoxatitan are known to have been found at what are called the Kestchyan Beds in modern day Gehenna. Additionally, fossil deposits from Kiurtrog and Vanshire's mesas have been found including those of Barocoryth dating to the Loanian.

Before the USSE
Prior to the foundation of the USSE, the region - now known as Losasagoto or truncated to simply the Lausá - had been home primarily to the Lo'Oix peoples and had dozens of tribal and clan groups. To the West in what would later become Kolssonafell, the Kolsson people group would slowly develop over time and to the sparsely populated North people would slowly form the Xekan and Vanshirian cultures. While the region is known to have had constant warring over time, it would not be truly united under a singular entity until the rise of the Sérotat Kingdom. It would annex much of Lausá into a singular state entity for the first time in recorded history through so-described brutal force and domination.

In what would become known as the Sérotoix Civil War, conflict would begin to break out against the ruling dynasty and local lords. This war raged for many years, particularly in the Northern provinces whereby bloodshed was most abundant according to most literal sources. This would ultimately become a source of ideological war as the ideology of socialism would first make its way to Eldham by word of Rathnirian sailors. This quickly spread throughout the region despite its sparsity and failure to catch on in others, particularly with the heat of the peasant's revolt against the Sérotat. It was ultimately socialist factions such as the Ároxin that would topple the Sérotoix government in the civil war.

Early Expansion, Adoption of Government, and Inception
The government of the USSE would be officially founded on May 28th of 2021, almost immediately after the opening of the Eldham servers to the general public. It was established with the shortly-lived capital city of Garkogorod; which has since withered away following the Kunir War. The nation saw rather abrupt and rapid rise to power in early Eldham, with a large population and relatively sizable amount of land, additionally the USSE saw itself become a notable power on the world stage following its influence in the Second Coalition-Ellysian War. Under both General Secretaries Aboniert Ormnidus and Leo Belgicus, the nation oversaw the creation of an intricate system of governance and general expansion of territory - though in spite of generally high poverty and a lackluster military. This early chapter in the USSE would ultimately be most notably concluded with the Kunir War. During this conflict, the USSE would be forced into a war with Vanakunir, of which they'd loose. As a result of this, the already small economy of the nation would collapse, one of the largest refugee crises in history would be seen, and the USSE would loose more than 2/3 of its territory. This land would be mostly annexed by both Anglunia and Vanakunir's colony of Newkunir.

The time after this conflict would be known as the dé'i Débalo'oa Dakoroto, or the Great Humiliation, though would ultimately charge forth what would become known as the Golden Era domestically.

The 'Golden Era'
Immediately following the Kunir War, the USSE was on the brink of collapse and near peril as a result of the massive exodus of citizens and loss of territory, and it was at this point that Xeroise Ronango'O would come to run for General Secretary uncontended as no other politician wished to take the job and see the USSE collapse in their hands. Almost immediately she sought a massive economic campaign of raising money and arming pro-USSE terrorist organizations to gain back USSE territory; which went incredibly successfully. Within merely one month, the nation had restored virtually all its territory as Anglunian governor of the annexed USSE territories of Kiurtrog and Croscograd would leave for payment and Vanakunir would opt to give back land in hope of not worsening relations on the international stage following the hugely unpopular war.

At this time, the USSE would undergo massive construction projects such as the establishment of the city of Kazkaya, which would later become the capital of the Union, and the capital city would be moved from Garkogorod to Laria which would also undergo mass construction. Additionally, Xeroise as General Secretary completely reformed the way in which law and executive power worked in the nation and would remove the political restraints of having a multiple party system instead opting for an educational vanguard party.

Under her position as General Secretary, the nation was often referred to even by her critics as being a 'Golden Era' as she had inherited a grim image of the nation and had restored it to a world power and created the foundations for every General Secretary after her in both power and the democratic process. Her impact on domestic USSE politics was so influential that it would end up becoming the ideological basis for the nation; forming an ideology known today as Xeroism. The term 'Xeroism ' was coined by journalist Rogale.

Mass Population Growth and Economic Foundations
The 'Golden Age' is considered to have continued into Quintus Solokov's reign as General Secretary and up into Chelovek Serebra's, both of which were self-acclaimed followers of Xeroism. During both of their terms, the nation would undersee further democratic reforms in the National Assembly. Additionally, the territorial extent of the USSE would grow massively at this time, at one point under General Secretary Serebra the nation was the largest it had ever been and has been since. The nation would see both constant economic gain at this time and exponential population growth that propelled the USSE to one of the largest nations in all of Eldham in terms of sheer active population.

Additionally, following the Vostroyan Worker's Strike, the government became much more intent on development projects. In particular, a massive subway system was built transnationally, one of the world's largest domestic roadways, gargantuan investment in city architecture and development, and more. The nation would also see the People's Army and People's Security Bureau formalized and become much more quick-responding and capable of fighting. Chelovek Serebra's position as General Secretary is often viewed very favorably, by even opponents of the USSE. Despite the USSE's involvement in military conflicts such as those in the Sand War, he received many compliments from even the Zamotz Union and Barbossa for his achievements of progressing the nation into 'prosperity', being an excellent diplomat, and carrying forth the torch set by Ronango'O and Solokov. At this time the USSE capital city would also be moved to Kazkaya.

The 'Hard Times' and History of War
The USSE would start seeing a major decline in territory and political power primarily starting with the Sand War under Chelovek Serebra. When Van'la Gaboliver became General Secretary, she would inherit a nation quickly being dogpiled on by various threats including PvP oriented groups and bandit nations. It is estimated that the nations regular bandit threats had doubled if not tripled and this would further be amplified by the War of Angel Altar whereby bandits squatted in the USSE and attacked locals.

Additionally the USSE would see a massive war effort on two separate occasions with Barbossa which would completely decimate the national military and sense of security within the country. In the wars with Barbossa the USSE would end up loosing land in Medtremar, Kaladinia, and Tornisia. As a result of constant warring, loss of territory, and loss of resources this time period from the end of Chelovek Serebra's final term and throughout Van'la Gaboliver's is often referred to as the 'Hard Times'. It was additionally around this time that Manzland controversially left the USSE, though this would not stunt population growth or economic activity.

Uraki Vassalization and Recovery
In the short lived term of Aleksander Serebra as General Secretary, of whom was popular from the reputation of his father Chelovek, the USSE would undertake the controversial decision of accepting vassalage under the Uraki Empire. This was in order to achieve some form of military protection, rebuild the nation, and prevent further war and territorial violations. The USSE would stay with Uraka for a while which allotted them time to start improving upon the economy further. At this point, the USSE started becoming a core exporter of XP to foreign nations.

The Red Renaissance and the Imperium
Under General Secretaries K.P.X. Triscus and Kato Leasian, the USSE has begun to undergo what has been sometimes named the 'Red Renaissance' as a mass resurgence of culture, development, and economic prosperity had begun to occur. Additionally, the USSE would abandon Uraka; becoming the largest member of the Old Banner's Rebellion against them. After leaving Uraka and with massive upgrades in the power of the government and foreign relations, the USSE quickly grew to become the world's largest exporter of XP for a period of time and a production powerhouse across Eldham.

In order to further nourish this relationship with nations such as the Imperium who were in great need of frequent XP; General Secretary Kato Leasian would have the National Assembly approve of a move to join the Imperium as a member state. This has also been regarded as an effort to further extend socialism abroad and establish the USSE as a hegemon of power in Eldham and to make annexation by foreign powers unlikely.

This situation would continue under General Secretary Piér Anagar which saw the USSE continue to rise in prominence on the world stage, in spite of a plateau in population growth that was similarly seen across many Eldhamite nations. This would climax in the War of Imperial Ascension which saw Lunaris and Sylvania seek war with the USSE and the Imperium as a whole; a war effort that would ultimately fold resulting in a victory of the USSE and her allies. Under Anagar new cities like Ythmyrr Beach and Gehenna would see significant amounts of development and large factories for XP be established in Sanguinople.

General Secretaries of the Communist Party
The nation as a whole is led by the General Secretary and corresponding Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party. They are sometimes referred to as the President and Vice President respectively as this is a former title used for the position. These positions are democratically elected, with six week terms; though there are no term limits. Elections can be participated in by any citizen. During these elections, the victor is decided by plurality instead of simple majority.

The position is considered incredibly important in USSE politics, as the General Secretary leads virtually all government executive action and the Deputy Secretary is considered to be the Head of the National Assembly and a viable tie-breaker.

The General Secretary additionally decides who is in the Commissioner's Circle and what seat they will hold specifically, see to the corresponding category for more information.

Role of the Communist Party
The Communist Party (often called the CPUSSE) leads the political function of the nation; though not in a particularly executive manner and not in a way that compromises the intended role of democracy. It is largely used to provide resources and education on socialism to new citizens, encourage political debate about the development of socialism and communism, and act as a 'vanguard' against anti-revolutionaries as first promoted by the doctrines of General Secretary Aboniert Ormnidus and later developed upon by General Secretary Xeroise Ronango'O and her doctrine of 'Xeroism' which is the proactive ideology of the state and party today.

One does not have to be a formal member of the party to be a citizen, be in the military, or even run for any government position. Additionally, you do not have to be endorsed by the party in any capacity to run for government positions or any of the aforementioned criterium.

Commissioner's Circle
One of the most important executive roles within the government is the Commissioner's Circle, a group of specialized organizational officials chosen directly by the General and Deputy Secretaries. Because the General Secretary cannot do all their duties alone, their duties are partially divided among multiple Commissioners which must be approved by the National Assembly.

Current Commissions include:


 * Commission of Culture
 * Commission of Information and Media
 * Commission of Security
 * Commission of Development
 * Commission of Foreign Affairs
 * Commission of Justice

Commissions may have organized bodies within them, the most notable example being the Commission of Security which is divided into the People's Army and the People's Security Bureau. The People's Army is the nation's official military and handles largely international issues relating to the defense of the state's will. The People's Security Bureau is a purely domestic law enforcement force.

Some positions have unique attributes, for example the Commission of Justice is considered to be the highest judge of any kind in the nation and the Commission of Development typically handles national budget and economy in addition to funding.

National Assembly and Corresponding Representatives
The National Assembly of the United Socialist States of Eldham is the government's primary legislative body of any kind. Virtually any law of any kind that is created or decisions of mass national importance and brought through the National Assembly. Additionally, the National Assembly must approve of declarations of wars, new treaties and alliances, and other such issues of foreign matter.

Each city inherently has at least one representative; being the Mayor of that city. If the city has a high enough population, there will be elections for a second of third seat depending on how large the city is. The maximum amount of seats a singular city can have is three Representatives. Terms last three weeks.

Mayors
Within the USSE, Mayors are largely independent and are free to do what they desire in their city as long as it does not directly violate federal law and judicial demands. They are additionally de-facto members of the National Assembly which encourage transnational cooperation and have the Constitutional right to form Mayor's Councils to discuss desires between cities.

The nation has a unique system of Mayoral elections whereby they do not have specific term limits of any kind, instead running on what is called a 'challenge system'. Any primary resident of the town may challenge the sitting Mayor for the position of Mayor and an election must be carried out.

Former Political Parties
The nation having multiple political parties was abolished on August 5th, 2021, with the Mumo'Oa Ko Reforms but prior to that after the passing of the Proposition Seven Reforms, the nation had three political parties. The Communist Party maintained control of both the National Assembly with three seats and both the Presidency and Vice Presidency at this time and as a result they had control of the entire government. After the Mumo'Oa Ko Reforms the country was returned back to being a one party state led by the Communist Party. There were two other political parties which saw intermediate electoral success including the Tulipanist Socialist Party and the Worker's Green Front, both of which were still in favor of socialist ideology.

Economic Order and State-Owned Businesses
The economy of the United Socialist States of Eldham has changed drastically over time. In its early months, the USSE was among the poorest nations in Eldham with little domestic production or trade of any kind. This would shift drastically under the rule of General Secretary Chelovek Serebra and later 'perfected' with General Secretary Van'la Gaboliver.

They would implement a system of Worker's Cooperatives and begin a process whereby citizens would optionally produce goods, optionally sell them to the government in exchange for money, and than be sold to foreign markets for a cheap markup of what has traditionally been around 6.5%. As a result of money having little value domestically in the USSE as a result of the collectivist nature of storage and production, the money citizens receive in exchange for selling goods to the government is often purely for luxury products bought from foreign nations. This would become most pronounced with the USSE dominance of the EXP market.

Today, the USSE remains as one of the largest international producers of EXP anywhere in the world, with workers receiving most of the profits which has drastically raised the GDP per capita and increased the state budget to finance building and other such state projects. It remains one of the world's top exporters in general to nations such as the Imperium. It is estimated that in April of 2022, the USSE produced nearly six million dollars worth of goods alone in that singular month.

Largest Settlements

 * Kazkaya/Kaxkaya
 * Laria
 * Vostroya
 * Ythmyrr Beach
 * Liberatum
 * Alicuna
 * Bierzhan
 * Gehenna

Physical Geography
The USSE has an incredibly diverse range of biomes and climates, but as a general trend the farther North you go you find warmer biomes such as swamps, mesas, and deserts, and the farther South you go you will find colder ones such as mountains, tundras, and taigas. The USSE possesses the largest single taiga in Serrona, and one of the largest taigas in the world in its Southern reaches spanning across the states of Ljordmir, Croscograd, Kiurtrog, and Atoxa, and even spanning partially into foreign nations such as Manzland. As a result of this, many of the largest cities in the country have an aesthetic using snow and spruce wood to their advantage. As a result of the rather vast expanse of the nation and the many mountains in places such as Atoxa, the USSE has massively invested into underground ice railway systems, having one of the single largest domestic systems of any kind in Eldham.

The nation has had a strong historical connection with the Sea of Lelo'E and the Haxhoit; the coast around the former being often referred to as the 'Donut'.

States

 * Atoxa
 * Croscograd
 * Ljordmir
 * Kiurtrog
 * Adalor
 * Medtremar (Autonomous)
 * Refuge (Autonomous)
 * Vanshire (Autonomous)

Ethnic Groups
The dominance of certain ethnic groups tends to vary from state to state; though the largest ethnic group in population size and historical relevance has been the Lo'Oix. They are most prevalent in the states of Kiurtrog, Atoxa, Croscograd, and Ljordmir. Other groups such as the Eternyri, Pos-Averticans, Valds, Manz, and others also exist in these regions in smaller numbers.

The most ethnically diverse state however is Medtremar which has Liberumites, Xekans, and Kaladinians and various smaller immigrant populations. As a whole though, immigrant populations are most prevalent in the state of Refuge which is almost entirely populated by Uldarashis fleeing the Uldarashi Civil War on Rathnir, some choosing to identify as more specific subgroups such as Havenites, Talawans, or Chevkris amongst others.

The most culturally homogenous states include Pergamos which is hugely populated by Pergamians and Vanshire which is dominated by Vanshirians.

Languages
While Traveler's Tongue is spoken, like in the rest of Stoneworks, the main language culturally within the USSE is Lo'Oi, specifically the Southern variety. No other language has managed to catch on in spite of efforts, with Lo'Oi remaining the most influential in the nation.

Literature
The USSE is well known for its libraries and literature achievements. Authors such as Xeroise Ronango'O have been acclaimed for their political and historical texts. Additionally, other socialist authors have often hailed from the USSE or been heavily inspired such as the Lavenderites and Unitists. The USSE has on numerous occasions held book contests to foster more people to write literature.

Religions and Spirituality
While the nation is hugely atheistic, there is a strongly dedicated religious movement within the nation. Specifically practitioners of Oxinto, sometimes known by smaller sub-cults such as the Dougists, are most popular throughout the USSE. Other religions such as Irsinism have also been practiced in the USSE.

Media and Newspapers
The USSE has a singular state sponsored newspaper, the Red Star which has been semiactive in terms of publishing and covers many historical events throughout USSE history.

Flag and Banner of the Union
The flag and banner of the USSE derive from the flag of the Ároxin. The cyan color represents the constant shining of the sky for every new day, and the red symbolizing the blood sacrificed to assure those new days are more enjoyable. The gold color often represents the shimmering path of socialism moving forward.