Carn

Carn is a Nation located in the south of Alteniquia, in the subcontinent of Aldovir. It has gone through many different iterations and leaderships throughout the years, and is currently known as the Caeronate of Neo-Carn under the leadership of Caeron Kerplis. Carn is a Feudal Monarchy with elective elements, ruled by the highest secular and spiritual authority of the Nation and its peoples; The Caeron. The capital of Carn is Lestria.

Culture
''The people of Carn are very much loyal to their ancient culture, and have retained their unique traditions and way of life even when they were assimilated into bigger and stronger nations. The Carnians follow their Caeron, to whom they are loyal and must answer at all times. The Caeron is however not all powerful, as they are only supposed to be a stand-in in place of the Eternal Caeron, Bivoj. If the Carnians are unhappy with their Caeron's decision making, they can simply vote to have them replaced with a suitable candidate.''

Language
The Carnians have always spoken multiple different dialects of the same language, Coenian, which hails from the lands of Rhell where they once lived. Two of the most commonly used dialects are Rhellite and Levernian, but the state-recognised form of Coenian is defined as Standard (or Ancient) formal Coenian.

Bloodlines and Dynasties
Anyone who either leads a life of merit, honor or valor, may found a bloodline. The name of this bloodline is usually either taken from the person's name or their home. Bloodlines are considered somewhat prestigious, but since anyone can proclaim themselves to be of a new bloodline, usually taken with a grain of salt. If the Caeron recognises a bloodline as legitimate, it becomes a dynasty. Names of dynasties are usually more significant, and they either come from the name of a family home or from a word or phrase in Coenian. The most prominent dynasty of Carn is the Elernel Dynasty, which has reigned as the semi-divine protectors of Carn throughout its entire existence.

Cairns and Temples
In ancient times, Carnians would raise certain structures in the name of their deceased. These were called Cairns, and were stone like structures pointing to the sky, surrounded by blooming flowers and other fauna. As time went on and these Cairns became overgrown, temples would instead be erected around them, the most prominent being the Cathedral of Lestria. Gravestones are now the common solution to grieve a deceased one, but Cairns are still used for important figures such as Caerons and other figures who have greatly benefited the nation and people.

The Grand Gathering
The Grand Gathering is an ancient ceremony outlined in the law of Lardburg, and later Carn, ever since the reign of Caeron Bivoj. The Grand Gathering is one of the biggest and most important events for the Carnian people, commoners and nobles alike. During the gathering, the most prominent nobility of Carn, including Shaerons, Quelliths and other greatly influential citizens gather to traditionally vote on whom shall become the next Caeron. It is not uncommon to see festivities take place once the new Caeron is elected, in the honor of the ascending leader and future of the nation. Grand Gatherings take place once a month, but can alternatively be organized in an emergency to resolve internal issues within the nation, or alternatively be excluded if there are not enough candidates, as in the case of Coenia and Carn during the reign of Uzair.

Religion
''The Carnians follow the religion of Aegmerism, and praise the almighty Aegmer. He is a strange, eldritch being that few understand, but many respect out of fear. He is, however, said to be a merciful god who rewards those most loyal with whatever they wish to come true, making him a god of trust, loyalty, and good deeds. It is, however, undeniable that some feel a slight unease about their lord. Aegmer is a truly mysterious god, not revealing much about himself or his vision to his people, and to this very day, few know what his true ambition is.''

The Man with the Porcelain Mask
The myth of The Man with the Porcelain mask is common throughout the entirety of Carn. He is said to wander the lands of Carn with a Porcelain mask of twisted smile, making deals with the ordinary folk of the nation. He may appear as whomever whenever - As a knight during a brutal siege, a sailor under a catastrophic storm, or someone else during a time of great need. It is speculated that The Man with the Porcelain Mask is closely related to Aegmer, perhaps even the dear lord himself. This, however, is not acknowledged by the Church.

The Aegmerist Church
The Church of Aegmer is neatly organized into three different dioceses, each controlled by an individual Derthend. The different dioceses are located in Lestria, Roscella, and by the monastery of Lothria. The head of the Aegmerist Church is the Caeron, but their representative and administrator when it comes to religious affairs is the Head Priest(ess). Sacraments, church rituals devoted to Aegmer, are performed frequently throughout the temples of Carn and usually include sacrifices and offerings.

Government Structure
Carn is ruled by the secular and spiritual authority of the nation - The Caeron, together with a council consisting of the High Priest(ess) and Steward, who manage the realm together. Shaerons lead individual provinces of the nation. The Shaerons form the Shaeroneal Council, and therefore the upper nobility of the realm. Individual towns are led by Quelliths, who together form the lower nobility of the realm. There is also the personal guard of the Caeron, the Erneraevis, who ensure the safety of the Caeron and keep an eye out for any upcoming revolts or attacks. The Caeroneal Guard however do not bear any political power other than their credibility and personal ties to the important figures of the government.

History
''The nation of Carn has gone through many different iterations over the years, both in terms of culture, political ideology and governmental structure. Carn is an ancient nation, and as such has an extensive amount of history. And because of that, not all history will be documented. The most important events will, however, be written below.''

Pre-Rathnir Era
Early 2020, on the server of Servrik were the beautiful lands of Rhell, of which the Carnians originate from. Here, the Lantine Empire was founded by Everthorne Lant, founder of the Elernel Dynasty. It was known as an artistic and poetic nation, strong yet focused on the cultural aspects of itself. In June of 2020, a man called Kerplis Elernel would find interest in rebelling and separating from Lant’s Empire - and that’s what he did. Kerplis founded the first Carnian Caeronate, as well as the city of Carn soon after the quick and effective rebellion. The Caeronate became dominant as a new economic hegemon throughout all of Rhell, while the Lantine Empire found itself struggling to keep up with the Carnian Caeronate and other rising powers. But despite the grand description, the Carnian Caeronate was nowhere near invincible.

It eventually fell in September 2020, together with its father nation of the Lantine Empire, due to a major economic crisis, plunging the world of Rhell into its first Dark Age. The identity of Carn, despite the people still remaining, disappeared. But the Carnian peoples would soon be reunited by a man who would later become the Eternal Caeron, Bivoj. He started off with a small town near the former Carnian capital, later bringing it into his fold, and continued to expand until all previous territories were recovered. The nation was reborn with a new identity: Lardburg. The Caeronate of Lardburg would soon inherit the reputation and might of the Carnian Caeronate. In October 2020, the War of Lardburgian Succession began - A conflict between the upper nobility of the nation, The League of Free Lords - And Lardburg itself. It was a rough war with many cities and castles destroyed, as well as books and scripts burned. After an entire month of fighting, Bivoj and the Loyalists would find themselves victorious, and Bivoj the Lard was crowned Caeron November 2020, ushering in a new golden age of unity, knowledge and might that lasted until March 2021.

Migration to Rathnir
Bivoj became too old and weak to continue leading his nation. Because of this, former Caeron Kerplis was granted the honor of ascending onto the throne, marking a new age of Carnian History under the banner of Lardburg. Already having a steady grip over all of Rhell, Kerplis led the nobles of Lardburg on an expedition to colonize, with the hopes of enlarging their influence and power. After a long journey, traveling through many of Rathnir’s waters, they eventually found a very fertile coast to settle on, situated on the banks of Reyllea. Reyllea had just been annexed to Theios-Essukdal, and was in a weak, stagnating position with a dire need of strong leadership. The nobles of Lardburg, who were quickly integrated into Essukdalad society, happened to be the perfect solution to the problem, and soon after their arrival, Caeron Kerplis would become the Gidesh (Duke) of Reyllea.

Kerplis would steadily rise in the world of Essukdalad politics, and lost interest in leading the Duchy of Reyllea in favor of national affairs. Because of this, a new leader, Uzair Elernel, would rise to the throne as the first Non-Lardburgian Caeron. This would be a largely controversial topic in Lardburgian society, as the election came to a very close result with a 6-5 victory. Together with his ascension, the former nation of Reyllea was reformed into one more in line with the Carnian culture and peoples as they became the dominant folk group. Reyllea was reformed into the Caeronate of Coenia - meaning Home in Coenian.

Foundation Of a New Realm
Theios-Essukdal also reformed, just later than Reyllea, returning to its ancient roots of Audalad culture. Yimmu-Audal had now returned, and their interest in maintaining a grip on Aldovir was dim. As such, the Caeronate of Coenia was more than free to help found the glorious Empire of Aldovir together with The Kingdom of Sironia, The Republic of Lapidovir, The Kingdom of Adavia and Vanakunir. The Carnian people prospered in the new nation, getting closer to their Aldoviri neighbors and gaining influence beyond their own borders. At this time, Coenia had one goal: Gain a proper foundation in these foreign lands.

But the Lardburgian Lords in Rhell, who had to invest men and resources into the colonization, were frustrated. As such, they declared a surprise war on the Coenian sub-nation, initiating the War of Lardburgian Secession. Because of the abrupt attack, long way home, and masterful recruiting by the Lords, the battle was gracefully lost, separating Coenia and Lardburg into two different entities. No longer having any ties to the Lardburgians and their culture, it was an obvious decision for Uzair to once more reform Coenia. This time, into a fully Carnian State: The Second Caeronate of Carn.

Rise and fall of the Carnian Caeronate
A new yet hard working citizen of Carn, Daria (DrachCiv), was elected as the new Caeron during the Third Grand Gathering October 2021. Daria quickly became one of the most influential Caerons and Overlords of Aldovir with his economic prowess and disciplined work ethic, implementing many new ideologies and laws in Carn. The height of Carnian power was in March 2022 during Daria’s reign, where the nation was in constant economic, political and military growth. It became one of the most important states within the Aldoviri Empire, contributing much to the nation’s economy and position in the political landscape.

Carn joined the Astyllean Empire together with the rest of Aldovir later on. And Daria made sure to have the Caeronate growing exactly like it had been during the Empire’s lifetime. More interested in imperial matters, he gave up the throne and had his daughter Shaereleria ascend to the throne. After internal frustrations and disagreements about the direction of the Astyllean Empire, Daria decided to start a rebellion in Astyllea after an unsuccessful election against Kerplis Elernel took place. This caused massive instability within Alteniquia, leading to every state separating from Astyllea. Many later collapsed due to the instability caused, or were taken into the fold of another mighty empire while disgruntled and confused. This period of Carn is called the Interregnum: The Downfall.

After the unsuccessful rebellion, Daria went into hiding to avoid assassins and bounty hunters. Carn was therefore left with a sour reputation and incredibly weak position. Shaereleria, pressured by power hungry nations, felt the need to partition Carn to have a chance to survive. There were multiple short-lived attempts to revive the nation, such as the Lestrian Caeronate and the Phoenixdom of Northern Carn. Both were unsuccessful. The Carnian peoples were in an age of death and tragedy - hope was dwindling. But luckily, two catalysts would step forth.

The Return of Carn
April 2023 was an important month for the Carnians. Many had lost hope of having their own nation and freedom, greatly grieving the death of Carn. But unexpectedly, both Kerplis and Daria had returned to the political scene of Aldovir, with a common goal: To take back what was unrightfully taken from them. Spurred by the return of two legendary Caerons, the formerly Carnian Galadonni Lords rebelled against their nation and proclaimed a restored Neo-Carnian Caeronate. Carn was peacefully integrated into The Empire of Yimmu-Audal as an autonomous Margraviate, reuniting the Carnians with their beloved Audalad brethren. A 5th Grand Gathering took place soon after, awakening a sense of hope within the people as legendary Caeron Kerplis was reintroduced to the throne. Even Uzair, who had disappeared from Carnian politics since losing the throne and politics as a whole since the Astyllean collapse, appeared to promote his mentor Kerplis and enlighten the people. Carn officially entered an age of hope - of healing - and most importantly: Of honor.