Najer

The Emirate of Najer is a nation-state located in the Wandering Desert in the north-eastern portion of Nieden. It was founded on the 7th of April, 2021, as a successor state to the now-dissolved Sterling Crownlands. It is currently led by Emir Hirudo, who is assisted by the provincial governors.

Pre-Emirate (10/16/2020-4/06/2021)
Najer's origins can be traced back to October 16th, 2020, at the founding of the great city of Najera'jad. This city-state would effectively comprise the entire nation, going on to be a founding member of the Silver Coalition and later part of the Sterling Crownlands. The ruler of Najera'jad, Avreham Basha, became the first High King of the Sterling Crownlands. Following his murder, the passing of the crown, and the First Coalition War, Najera'jad grew out of focus internationally.

When the Crownlands were dissolved by the son of Avreham, Baram Basha, Najera'jad reformed into the Emirate of Najer.

Early Emirate (04/07/2021-05/10/2021)
This reformation involved a complete restructuring of the government and a relegation of Najera'jad to only one city within the nation. Following a desire to separate themselves from the traditional hierarchies of the past, they did away with the title of High Seyoh and crowned Dmitrio von Sturgeon the first Emir of Najer.

On the 6th of May, Vulpur refugees from Floramia came to settle in Najer, founding the cities of Neavulpur and Captainia on the far western portion of the country. They became the Vulpinia Province.

On May 10th, DragonTypes and CreativeWarrior6 founded the city of Sicaria on an island off the coast of eastern Najer. By the 15th, Najer officials Bigfatpenn and FrogyCraftt came to visit. DragonTypes offered to buy the island from Najer, but Pen declined, asking Sicaria to become part of Najer. Sicaria agreed, marking the start of the middle age.

Middle Age (05/11/2021-06/07/2021)
On the 22nd of May, the Order Müvielle annexed a sizeable portion of Andamooka territory. Pom Nafar, Kijaro, Simpville, and several temples were restored and occupied in order to enforce the legitimacy of the claim. Muvielle cited a need for more territory as well as the neglect of the southern ruins as their reason for these actions. This sparked immediate controversy, and plans for war were drawn up by both sides.

Following firm denunciations from prominent powers like Bardonia, Uldarash and Viodoxa, a treaty was drawn up and published on the 25th of May. The Kijaro Treaty, as it was named, gave the annexed settlements back to the Emirate, apologized for Muvielle's actions, and opened the borders between the two countries.

Just four days later, on the 26th, elections were held for the provincial governorship. DragonTypes became the governor of the Najera'jad province, and swiftly renamed it Sicaria, moving the capital to the eponymous city. IronJaw607 became the governor of Central Najer. The governor of Vulpinia was chosen by a council, and the governor of Andamooka was chosen by the Emir.

At the end of May, with the discovery of Eldham, the people of Vulpinia emigrated, returning their territory to Najer, which became part of Sicaria province.

On the 7th of June, the inauguration for the new governors was held at the capital, marking the start of the modern age.

Modern Age (06/08/2021-Present)
Following their expulsion from Simulami lands, the Order of the Red Quarterstaff was invited by Governer IronJaw to settle on Najer lands, specifically a peninsula in northeastern Najer. (On the 26th of June) The Order began constructing a city, but some citizens from the nearby town of Pomjad, concerned about potential trouble, interrupted this, causing a stir. As a result, the Order was granted official citizenship status, but with authority to function as an enclave within Najer.

On the 22nd of July, the Emirate and the Simulami Empire signed a formal alliance- the Pisces Fellowship. This agreement was the culmination of tensions between the two nations. Clause 2C cited the two culture's similar views on land and foreign relations being cause for friendship rather than conflict. The pact reiterated many of the sentiments in the Treaty of Kijaro- a denunciation of cultural hatred and aggression against each other, as well as a promise of mutual defense and sovereignty.

On the 25th, a delegation from Mithusu visited Najer, ending up at Murmudas. The mayor of the town attempted to impersonate the government officials, which, along with prior offenses, led to his banishment from Najer. On the same day, an uproar in Sigtuna occurred, with internal affairs regarding elections prompting the citizens to cry foul. Fearing a rebellion, the head of the town called upon the nation's forces to quell his opposition. The disagreement was eventually resolved peacefully.

During the events of the Third Coalition war and The Battle of New Dorasterrock, Najer entered a state of readiness, anticipating a call from Bardonia for aid. Although such a call never came, what little military Najer has was rallied, with the Najer Coast Guard forming into a navy and many Najer towns enacting defenses against potential raids. After the Coalition victory at New Dorasterrock, Najer forces returned to a wary state of peacetime.

On the 30th of July, Najer officials made contact with a squatter nation known as the "Kingdom of Salem." They left grief all around the capital, and attempted to buy the land and their sovereignty, but as they refused to join Najer, negotiations ended up being unproductive.

Two Najer, Just_Shooter and Hirudo6, scouted out the kingdom, located in an old mountaintop keep. They then rallied Najer forces and stormed the fortress. The leader of Salem, Splycerz, barricaded himself inside, taunting the Najer until war councilor Debi shot him off the wall. The strike team was quick to breach the fort and remove any remaining resistance.

On the 10th of August, another national meeting was held. Governor Ironjaw retired, the first governor to do so. He passed the governorship of Central Najer to Hirudo6.

By September 15th, Najer's neighbor and ally Solitudinem had become the victim of a hostile takeover by an armed squatter group. Najer answered the call for aid and began mobilizing their troops and allies to force the squatters out. Nearly a dozen nations pledged their support in the conflict and became part of the Najer Coalition. Negotiations with the squatter group, known by many names, but most recently as 'Manifest,' were conducted, but most went very poorly. Thus the War of Solitudinem began. Early on, Manifest claimed to have the support of Tortuga, the Frosterium, and the Second Empire of Plagatéa, but these claims were later discovered to be false. After support had evaporated for Manifest, they tried to back out of the war, but eventually a battle occurred on the 19th of September.

Coalition forces would gather at the river across from the Hills of Bhaldor, where the Manifest squatters had set up camp, and begin the assault. Although Manifest had hired the Berry Bandits for an exorbitant fee, they quickly switched sides, turning on the squatters. After a quick rout, the defenders fled to a fort to the north called Castillo De Arena. They were slaughtered there too, with only a single casualty on the Coalition side. The remaining defenders were starved out or surrendered, until the fort was empty.

The Sapphire Commonwealth was founded on the 28th of September, with the Emirate as one of it's three core members. A few weeks later, on the 16th of October, Emir Dmitrio von Sturgeon would pass away, entrusting leadership of the nation to Hirudo Hijam's-son.

Government
The Emirate functions with a similar structure to the Sterling Crownlands federal government, with an absolute monarch, the Emir, at the head, and an advisory council, the Wobambi forum, to aid in managing affairs across Najer and beyond. In order to most efficiently manage the land, the Emirate is divided into three provinces: Andamooka, Jakeh'adh, and Najera'jad. Each province has a governor who oversees it, essentially governing however they choose.

Officials
Emir
 * Hirudo6

Governors
 * Najera'jad: TSCLeo
 * Jakeh'adh: Azzar
 * Andamooka: _Luunas

War Councilors
 * Just_Shooter
 * BackToTheHub

Ministers
 * Infrastructure and Development: Cowboy_Catboy
 * Cultural Affairs: RaptorTheOne

Relationships and alliances
Najer is a heavily isolationist nation, rarely engaging in affairs outside their borders. If they do engage in war, it is to defend themselves or their allies. Najer has a strict "take no land, give no land" policy, refusing to either conquer or sell land. Despite this, the Emirate often engages diplomatically with other nations. It is also part of the Sapphire Commonwealth, a union with two neighboring countries. They have several alliances, detailed below:
 * Sapphire Commonwealth (Direct alliance)
 * Simulami Empire
 * Second Empire of Plagatéa
 * Skjoldbrodir


 * Sapphire Commonwealth (Group alliance)
 * Varandoy-Aestyrian Kingdom
 * Fourth Empire of Bardonia
 * Osteri Plagosi Trading Company
 * Huitca Federation
 * Xemalatu
 * Gertonia
 * Lunaris


 * Uldarash
 * Solitudinem

Culture

 * Main Article: Najer Culture

Najer culture is deeply rooted in its rich history, stemming from their role as a land of nomads and traders, to the people's heavy involvement with and support of the Silver Coalition and the Sterling Crownlands. This fusion has led to a mosaic of shared ideas and a diverse population, who commonly accept those who are different and exchange ideas between each other.

The national animal and symbol of the Emirate is the Zond, a mythical creature from ancient Najer folklore. The creature appears as a horse with an abnormally long neck, a spotted hide, and horns not unlike a dragon. Zond are elusive, like a mirage in the desert. Those who gaze upon its majesty are rewarded greatly with safe travels, clean water, and good trade deals. The earliest known accounts of the creature are depictions in the Qwarakan Archaeological Site, the location of potentially the earliest permanent Najer settlement.

The tribal Poma clan system is the traditional and time-honored system of Najer organization. However, its practice has declined over the years, as increasing numbers of Najers have flocked to cities as opportunities outside their walls grow scarcer. Today, it is seen primarily in Central Najer and the desolate outskirts of cities.

The "stereotypical" blue wandering trader tunic of the Najer people has also adapted with the times, still often worn by Najer and non-Najer born citizens alike, but now using dyes and textile tradition brought from abroad.

Najer culture is proud and protective of its history and ancestral lands. Many Najer travel to protect cultural sites and discover new ones buried in the desert sands, while others roam Rathnir collecting rare goods.

The Najer value sincerity, and have great disdain for deceit. While they do keep secrets, they prefer open discussion in all matters of life. Additionally, the Najer are well known for being gracious and generous hosts that never let anybody go hungry if they can help it.

Geography
The Najer homelands have long been colloquially known as the Wandering Desert, a specific subregion of the Nieden continent. While primarily a mix of deserts and arid savannahs, it contains many pockets of more arable land, and is criss-crossed with rivers and mountains.

Andamooka
Andamooka Province is the easternmost province. It has the largest concentration of towns of any province, and is very active, courtesy of being the current home of the national capital. It is almost entirely desert, save for the Kijar mountains region, where snowmelt from the mountains provides a supply of fresh water than nourishes the area around it, allowing grass and spruce trees to grow.
 * Ajek Point
 * Hicto
 * Kijaro
 * Ohjan
 * Phinos
 * Pom-Nafar
 * Rajadon (Abandoned)
 * Sigtuna
 * Skahashi (Abandoned)
 * Wobambi-on-Sea (Capital)
 * Temple Shi (Defaced)
 * Temple Ahjjarjen (Maintained)
 * Temple Tala'ii (Slight Disrepair)
 * Temple Orhnuu (Maintained)
 * Temple Jaand (Disrepair)
 * Jadnivramhasa

Jakeh'adh
Jakeh'adh Province is the core of Emirate lands. It has the highest overall population of any province, courtesy of many of it's cities being very large. It also contains much beautiful wilderness and smaller builds such as ranches and farms. Jakeh'adh contains vast expanses of unbroken desert, but also much more grassland in comparison to Andamooka. The largest such region of arable land has been used by Najer farmers for generations, and in modern times is used as a joint Jakeh'adh and Andamooka provincial farm, as part of the city of Nahrayn.
 * Campus Ordo
 * Mirwa
 * Murmudas
 * Naduunta (Abandoned)
 * Nahrayn (Provincial Capital)
 * Pomjad
 * Temple Jhai'nu (Maintained)
 * Temple Jumas (Slight Disrepair)
 * Temple Muda (Maintained)

Najera'jad
Najera'jad Province is the westernmost province. As the province containing the first city of the Najer, Najera'jad, it has many historical sights and relics of the past. It is the most rural of the provinces, and has a long history of having squatters expelled from it. It is undeveloped, courtesy of the craggy cliffs that dominate the landscape. The intersection of many rivers has also created a fertile basin in the eastern portion of the province.
 * Asri Vodon
 * Captainia (Abandoned)
 * Chribox (Abandoned)
 * Daedalus Ferry (Abandoned)
 * Fort Basha (Abandoned)
 * Fort Silver (Abandoned)
 * Icarus (Abandoned)
 * Kigea'jad
 * Kreig
 * Malachi (Abandoned)
 * Najera'jad (Cultural Capital)
 * Shahbah
 * Sicaria (Provincial Capital)