Bersania


 * This country is part of the Project Genesis universe.

The  Republic of Bersania (in Bersanian: Republiga de Bersania) is a country in the continent of Meridia. Bersania's capital and largest city is Castena, with Gerant the second city in the country. The republic exists since, the year the Bersanian Civil War began, continuing until a final unification of the present-day territory after the Battle of Roventa in. The modern democratic nation was established following the adoption of the first constitution in.

Prehistory
The oldest traces of human life in what is now Bersania date back over 500.000 years, with earliest remains of tools and other items. Metallurgy appeared at the end of the -3rd millennium, with gold, bronze and later iron. Cave art by prehistoric humans dating to around have been found.

Pastinians and Serdians
The first great Bersanian culture was that of the Pastinians (Cultur Pastinesc), centered around the walled city of Pastinia (ca. ). The Pastinians were fairly advanced, expanding to other cities and creating the first early kingdom in. In the north, the Serdian culture was found (Cultur Serdinesc) some 200 years later, though they were hunter-gatherers and did not have the capacity for larger cities.

Orenel culture
The Orenel culture first appeared around. Their origin has been disputed and debated since the earliest texts of the ancient Mança historians, but it is believed they were foreigners and came to Bersania via the eastern islands. The orenel peoples were hunters, though settled to a more permanent lifestyle by, as evidenced by remains of stone villages. Their military had the use of ships, with remains of two ships dating to around discovered in  and, one of them far inland.

They were most notable, though, for their use of chariots in combat, depicted in frescoes, though only evidenced by wheel portions. The Orenel reached their peak in around, where the Orenel Realm (Reulme Orenel) was a major seafaring and trade culture.

According to Mança and later Bersan historians and lore, the Orenel were duotheist, primarily worshipping the "fat virgin" (Vierge gord) and the more sinister "thin virgin" (Vierge meugre).

Mança Empire
The Iron age sees the rise of the Mança culture in the southeast around the year. They were excellent metallurgists and warriors, and expanded from their homeland in the islands west. The Mança were highly advanced, known for building walled, stone cities, predominantly on hills and high ground. Their military, divided into cuarts of 250 soldiers, were relentless in marching and conquering.

Under Petrus (- ), they expanded to the mainland and headed west. Under his daughter, Viniţia (or Veniţia), (- ), the empire was further expanded, though the fact she was a woman left her trying to fight male relatives, usurpers and rebellious military commanders to secure her reign. Still, with the help of several loyal generals and soldiers, she expanded her father's realm to become the largest state in what is now Bersania to date, defeating the Orenel.

Peak of the Empire
The Mança reached their zenith around under the emperor Delponius, with the capital at Tenebria one of the great cities of the world. His death in sparked the great crisis, essentially a civil war, where his sons Viltus and Garrus fought a decade-long conflict until Garrus defeated his brother. The Empire was much weakened, and his victory over his brother did not bring any quick stability. In, Garrus was poisoned by his son, Bentus, though it was his wife, Carrestenia, who held the real power.

Her de facto rule was made de jure in, as she had her husband executed over fears he was looking to remarry. A period of stability followed, where she was able to ensure the loyalty of the army after taking up General Barcus as her lover. Barcus then deposed her in, after she contracted some form of influenza, and moved to imprison her children. Her two oldest were imprisoned, but the youngest, Bentus the Younger, fled with several cuarts of loyal men.

Dark period and fall of the Empire
The Dark Period of the empire ensued afterwards, in which Bentus and his men began raiding, pillaging and murdering those who backed Barcus, and likewise Barcus would torture and murder any suspected of supporting the rebels. Barcus and his half-brother, Berrius, would lead the war against Bentus. The dark period is considered to have ended in, when Bentus' son, Hanius, defeated both of Berrius' children in combat.

Foreign intervention from the west was inevitable after some 60 years of conflict, and internally Hanius faced discord as well.

Bersan Kingdom
Around, the people of the Bersa valley in the north began to flourish as seen by their art and artifacts. In the traditional history, passed down by the historians Costerio and Iano, the couple of Delvide (died ) and Roventa (died ) were able to unite the inhabitants of the valley and began to create an army to challenge the Mança rulers, who had been abusing their power. At the Battle of the Pisi River, the guerrilla tactics of the Bersans succeeded in defeating a larger, more powerful though unwieldy army under Caltus.

Delvide and Roventa use their victory to declare a kingdom, and establish a Consulate of initially 40 members to help rule their country, the birth of parliamentary tradition. The path looked set for a war between the Bersans and Hanius. The fall of the Mança Empire is in, when Hanius is killed in battle and Tenebria is destroyed, with tales of the burning city's destruction a legendary feat passed down through history.

Delvide renames their capital after his wife (the oldest continually-inhabited city), though upon his death his wife becomes the first Queen (all previous female rulers held the male titles). The legends of Delvide and Roventa would become very central to the kingdom, and even the subsequent republic.

Bersan Republic
The republic is founded in, when the military under General Tidano Lespero deposes the last king, Berrio, citing years of instability, corruption and neglect by the kings. Lespero rules until his death in, after which the patricians and generals decree that the Consulate must elect a councillor from among its ranks, with the ability to elect a military ruler during pressing times of war.

By, under the councillor Casparo, the Consulate reaches its zenith with 610 members from across the republic.

End of the Republic
The republic fractured following several invasions, wars and a costly failed attacked on the eastern islands in to. The end of the republic as a world power ended around, though it continued in name as a much smaller and less powerful state until the abolition of the Consulate in by nobleman Perso Gambino.

Gambino established himself as councillor until declaring a kingdom of Essinia in.