Mejakepai

Empire of the Mejakepai ꦫꦠꦸꦇꦰꦸꦫꦶꦤꦙ꧊ꦩꦼꦗꦏꦼꦥꦇꦚ (Râtuīsurinava Mejakepaingâ) (Nevurusarese) Capital and Languages Brief Nation Info Mejakepai, officially the Empire of the Mejakepai (Nevurusarese: Râtuīsurinava Mejakepaingâ, Halēnawega: ꦫꦠꦸꦇꦰꦸꦫꦶꦤꦙ꧊ꦩꦼꦗꦏꦼꦥꦇꦚ) is a Tulukatvan thalassocratic empire located on the far western portion of Lazzeatir, on the isle of Kada. It is surrounded by both the Bay of Talakabang to the north, east and south, and the Bay of Kada to the west. The country itself was officially declared by Sujatasa IV under the "Proclamation of the Mejakepai" from it's predecessor state, the Queendom of Neruvusari.

Mejakepai's capital is the Nevursari city of Peiklaten (also known as Javahaya), which is also the largest settlement on the island of Kada, and is home to a major shipping port, Port Javahaya.

Etymology
The name Mejakepai derives from Nevurusarese which the two words, "Meja", meaning thousand, and "kepai", meaning island. The state's name comes from the Ratasuri, Sujatasa IV, who named the country claiming her title as "Empress of the Thousand Isles", which stretches her claim from not only Kada, but the entirety of the region. Ratuisuran Mejakepai formally means Empire of the Thousand Isles.

History
The history of the Mejakepai goes back thousands of years before the formation of the Empire, namely on the island of Kada, where the majority of people live on as the dominant island, which also contains the capital and the major cities around it. Most of the history of the Mejakepai centers around the island of Kada as a result. However, much of their history is also covered in the fallen Kunuvan Empire.

Pre-Mejakepai
The first Javepakata settlers arrived on Kada around the year 150,000 BKS. The first of their true civilizations was the Yuta Civilization, which held many of the modern Javepakata customs, such as their clothing style.

West of Kada, the Batake people's invention of bronze, and more importantly, the Kunuvan city-state's invention of Bronze Magic, kickstarted a rapid period of Batake expansion that would culminate in the formation of the Kunuvan Empire. The Kunuvans expanded across much of western Lazzeatir, and around the entire Sea of Mejakepai.

During the final years of the Kunuvan civilization, an event known as the Great Fissure destroyed nearly all aspects of civilization in the region. Its origins are mostly unknown, but several theories regarding its causes have rose to prominence. Shortly after the Great Fissure, a race of Sun Elves named the Koravi invaded the Kunuvan rump states, overthrowing them.

The Koravi and Batake then settled, though at different times, on Kada. Kada was experiencing its own political turmoil due to the fissure, and was fractured amongst many smaller factions of Koravi, Batake, and Javepakata.

After centuries of war and pillaging, five monarchies emerged as the most powerful in Kada: Nevurusari, Taka, Malaka, Sanandra, and Avaser. Out of them, the most powerful one was Nevurusari and its family of leaders, the Sujatasas. After the assassination of the Nevurusari queen, Sujatasa IV rose to power in the queendom.

Formation of the Mejakepai
After years of infighting, at the end of the tribal period, Sujatasa IV released her proclamation, uniting Kada under the new Empire of the Mejakepai. The chaos of political intrigue and conquest throughout all the monarchies has desolated the lands, but after millennia of war, Kada is finally at peace, and can begin rebuilding.

Geography
Mejakepai is largely located on the island of Kada, where most of the affairs of the state are handled. The island itself is located within the Bay of Talakabang and east of the Sea of the Mejakepai.

Political divisions
the Mejakepai is composed of five main Kingdoms: The Queendom of Nevurusari, the Kingdom of Taka, the Queendom of Malaka, the Kingdom of Avaser, and the Kingdom of Sanadra.

Biodiversity
Kada hosts a sub-tropical climate home to deciduous, coniferous, and tropical tree typ

The island's beaches are home to a large population of sea turtles, notably including the Peiklaten Sea Turtle. The island also hosts horses and donkeys endemic to itself. Most notably, the island is home to the Kada Dragon, a distant cousin of the Javepakata.

Government and Politics
the Mejakepai is ruled under an absolute monarchy, with a lower house of an Imperial Parliament that represents Subjects and Tribes with a limited democratic authority in some. The Taihta (Imperial Throne) is the ruling monarch of the Mejakepai. The Ratuisure is the monarch reigning over Mejakepai. They hold absolute power, not limited to any constitution or document of law. The Ratuisure is a member of the Mejakepai dynasty, specifically the oldest capable leader within it. The current Ratuisure is Ratuisuri Sujatasa IV. Though the government looks representative, the true power lies within the Ratuisure.

The local Kings (Nakiles) represented by the head of the parliament (Omisinge). Above them is the High Court, which is lead by the High Court (Penadikah). The head of it, the Prime Minister (Kratopatihe) is the highest authority in the Empire.

The Penadikah (High Court) is the higher house of the Imperial Court. Its members are the highest ranking magistrates tasked with assisting the monarch in running the nation. All members of the Penadikah are appointed directly to their position by the reigning monarch. At the Penadikah’s head is the Kratopatihe. They serve as the right hand of the monarch, thus their role varies depending on the responsibilities and powers granted to them by the reigning monarch.

The Yapelanan (Ministries) are organs of the government tasked with administering specific aspects of the empire. There is no rigid number of them at any time, as they can be formed and dissolved with the need of the empire. At the head of each Yapelanan is a Yapelane, the designated Minister of the Yapelanan. Each Yapelane decides how their ministry is going to function, along with who they’re going to appoint to them. Current Yapelanan within the empire are as follows:

The Nakilah (Imperial Parliament) is the lower house of the Imperial Court. Its members are the delegates and representatives of all of the empire’s subjects. The number of members within the Nakilah depends on the number of unique subdivisions of the empire.
 * Ministry of Architecture – Tasked with managing the building and maintenance of imperial buildings and infrastructure.
 * Ministry of Finance – Tasked with managing the imperial budget and the empire’s resources.
 * Ministry of Trade – Tasked with managing the trading of goods within the empire, along with the importing and exporting of goods internationally.
 * Ministry of Justice – Tasked with enforcing and mandating imperial law across the empire’s territory.
 * Jendahralan – Tasked with the Military.

Each Nakile is either elected by the citizens of the territory they represent, or is a hereditary Nakile. The hereditary Nakile are kings or other royalty of their region, they serve for the duration of their life, and upon death are replaced by their designated heir.

Each elected Nakile’s term lasts 2 years, upon which they stand for election. (see Article 3.1.). There is no limit to how many terms a Nakile can serve. The elected head of the Nakilah is the Omisinge. Their job is to be the speaker of the Nakilah. They call the Nakilah’s meetings, initiate each of its votes, and present the final verdicts of each vote and proposal. They can alter and rewrite each proposal until they deem that the proposed law is worthy of enacting.

The job of the Nakilah is to vote on and propose laws to the Penadikah and Taihta. These laws are supposed to be representative of the needs and desires of their represented citizens.

Every 2 years, all of the Nakilah’s elected members are posted for election, and can be either reelected or replaced. There are two conditions for an election taking place within a certain region.


 * 1) If there are any candidates vying for a position, which have applied for election on time, an election will take place within their region.
 * 2) If the citizenry, Nakilah, Penadikah, or monarch filed a Katilah, or impeachment of the designated official. See Article 3.2.

The method with which the election will take place is determined by the number of candidates within each respective election. First Past The Post is used if there are only two candidates for an election, an Alternative Vote is used otherwise.

A Katlah (Impeachment) is a special kind of election / trial within the empire. It puts into question the ability or legitimacy of a government official. Only the monarch cannot be impeached.

The parties of the empire that have the ability to file a Katilah against an official are as follows:


 * If a petition is signed by more than 20% of a region’s citizens, a Katilah is formally filed against their Nakile.
 * If more than 25% of the entire empire’s citizens sign a petition against the Omisinge, a Katilah is formally filed.
 * The Nakilah can vote on filing a Katilah against any member of the Nakilah. They can only file a Katilah against a member of the Penadikah if more than 75% of the Nakilah vote in favor.
 * The Penadikah can vote on filing a Katilah against any member of the Penadikah or the Nakilah.
 * The monarch can file a Nakilah against anyone they choose.

The Trial Phase of the Katilah puts the official in question on trial. The judge of the trial is the reigning monarch, and the prosecution is the party which filed the Katilah in the first place. The prosecution must define the crimes which the official is prosecuted for.

If the trial reaches a verdict of Guilty, the official is immediately removed, and can be sentenced by the monarch. If the verdict is Not Guilty or To Be Decided, the Katilah ends if the official in question is unelected, or proceeds to the Election Phase. The special exception to this is the impeachment of a hereditary Nakile. Even if the verdict isn’t Guilty, the Katilah still proceeds to the Election Phase.

The Election Phase of the Katilah is exclusive to the elected positions of the government. If the Trial Phase has reached a verdict of Not Guilty or To Be Decided, the citizenry vote on removing the official in question.

If the official is voted to be removed by the population, their region is left vacant of a Nakile. The region can either be administered by the Jandahralan or left to the local government, depending on the situation. If the official is a hereditary Nakile, the citizenry can either vote on replacing them with their designated heir, or removing their hereditary status altogether.

Military
The Jendahralan is the administrative body of the Imperial Army (See Article 5.). The head of the Jendahralan is the Jendahrale, or General of the Military. They appoint and command all other members of the Jendahralan.

The Jendahrale determines the organizational structure of the military. They appoint all officers within the military and command the strategy of war.

The Mapasoke (Logistics Directorate) regulates the Mapasokan, the logistical wing of the military. They manage the production, acquisition, and distribution of military equipment such as armor, weapons, potions, food, etc.

The Arjane (Training Directorate) regulates the recruitment and training of the troops. They, along with their designated Pejaratan officers, determine who is allowed in the army, along with scheduling training sessions.

The Telikan (Information Directorate) is made up of cartographers, spies, scouts, and other information personnel. Their task is to accumulate information necessary for the determination of strategy and tactics employed by the empire during war.

The head of the Telikan is the Telike, who gives orders to the rest of the Telikan depending on what the Telikan needs to accomplish.

Culture
Mejakepaic culture is mostly tied to the local traditions of the varying kingdoms, but many customs and ethics are adopted from Nevurusarese culture. Local cuisines and literature are also observed throughout the country.

Food
Cuisine is quite staple to many people around the Mejakepai. A common theme among the varying cultures is that all of their foods are usually steamed. Rice appears to be a staple among many of these foods, but wheat and millet also appears to be used. Bread is usually made on the side of clay ovens, which has become accustomed to many households. This type of bread, known as "clay bread", is popular among lower classes. Upper classes appear to consume meat more often than the lower classes. One of the more famous dishes is spiced lamb together with curry, mostly being spiced fish curry.

As the Mejakepai is a costal nation, many sea delicacies such as turtle soup mixed with spices, oysters, steamed muscles with onion, and varying other seafood is quite popular. Vegetarian food is often made by the Azerdanic population, which mostly consists of eggplant, and varying pastes made from foods that are grounded. Nevurusarese Salad and Yogurt are quite popular among the Azerdanic community, and in general, the majority of the Mejakepai. Yogurt culture is likely influenced by Kunuvic influence that carried over during the Dark Ages by the Koravi.

Drinks such as Tumeric Ginger Juice and Kadan Palm Wine is popular among the Mejakepai.

Nevurusarese food is often consistent of diets involving rice, fish and multiple different kinds of spices. On the rating of spice, Nevurusari is considered to have some of the spiciest food in the greater Western Lazzeatir region. The Kadan Pepper, Widows' Cumin and the Black-Gold Spice are highly valued by Nevurusarese nobility. Saffron also grows in large quantities throughout Nevurusari, which makes it a large export in terms of the spice market. In addition, Nevurusarese Curry is served as a dish that was bought over by the Shivara from their homeland, as well as the seeds that are needed to grow curry trees, which originally grew in the Azerdan temple gardens in Port Javahaya. This curry is often mixed with fish, rice and chicken as well as spices to create a more authentic flavor.

Art
the Mejakepai depicts their achievements and their culture in mural form using mosaic tiles. In many fortresses and palaces, artisans usually depict the varying rulers of their region, and the way of life as a way to communicate and show to the outside world who visits their ports. The most famous depictions is the dolphin riding mosaic located in Port Javahaya, which is seen at the Azerdan Mosque. Tapistry and weaving has also been a common appearance throughout the isle of Kada, though different patterns had been weaved by varying people groups of the country.

Literature
One of the most famous pieces of literature of the Mejakepai is The Eighteen Steps of the Wheel, which is a fictional tale of a rags to riches Javepakatan noblewoman in years past, who finds her true place of Keblatan's world. This story is often lamented as the hallmark of fictional works. The Crescent Scripture is another popular literary work bought over by Azerdanic refugees who spread their works throughout, and had many of their own stories written in books that is based loosely off it.

Architecture
Structures around the Mejakepai often have thatched roofs that point out, which makes it looks similar to buildings that are located in a few other regions around the isles. Pointed-roof structures and style is popular around the country, with many of the Kingdoms adopting this technique to help mitigate rain from coming onto a person's face. There are also structures that are made from mudbrick with square roofs. This style, known as Kunuvic-style, gained traction when the Batake arrived into the country following The Great FIssure. This style of architecture is often seen in higher official buildings or nobility, as well as around the city of Peiklaten, where it is more commonly seen, including the Imperial Palace.

Music
Instruments of the Mejakepai are mostly consisting of reed flutes, and a three stringed instrument known as the Pakatu, which is similar to a lute. Drums are also a common placement among many tribes within the isle of Kada, with war drums being the staple for playing war music, or alerting. Portable drums had also came to use by musicians in the army to help raise morale or signal retreat.

Science
the Mejakepai advantages from using a few aspects of whatever recovered old Kunuvic technology that was thought to be lost. Much of the Batake community is largely invested into scientific ventures, and thus, ambitious to one day re-configure and reverse-engineer much of their ancestors technology. The technological levels vary around the isle, with the Nevurusarese being the most advanced, while the tribes being the least advanced. There also exists communities that detest science, and prefer living among the tribal population of the country.

Clothing
the Mejakepai clothing is adopted from mostly a neo-Kunuvic design, which has blended in to more higher castes of society and every day life. It is considered a strong taboo to cover one's chest, belly, and shoulders, which explains why many clothes are designed intentionally to reveal said areas around the top. Previously, hiding ones thighs was also considered a taboo, but this has changed since the introduction of Tulakatva. Almost every ethnic group of the island has this bizarre way of dressing. Some prefer to not wear a top to adapt to the heat, revealing their entire chest. This taboo likely came about from the fact that in Nevurusarese culture, the body, namely the chest area is considered sacred, and hiding it is a symbol of shame and disappointment, as well as it being a curse. The exceptions to covering this area appears to only apply to armor, or if conditions are required to cover it, such as being in a colder environment.