Vespia


 * This sovereign state is part of Project Genesis.

Vespia (Vespian:, Veskoya), officially known as the Godrealm of Vespia, the Empire of Tears (Vespian: , Xâu'Mâr No-Veskoyâno Tâzeno No-Voyâšono), is a comprising the northern half of Zhakar. Vespia is a, with its seat of power located in the capital city of Zanza. The government exercises its over twelve zharukdoms, all of which are under the direct control of the Vespian imperial government. The official language of Vespia is Vespian. Vespia is the largest sovereign state in the world with a total land area of 18,218,463.35 square kilometers (7,034,188.02 sq mi). Furthermore, Vespia also had a population of some 1.064 billion people as of, making it one of the most populous nations in the world. The capital city of Zanza is the largest city and metropolis in Vespia, and the largest urban center in Zhakar. Vespia boasts the world's oldest continuously reigning and unbroken monarchical tradition, with the Imperial Family of Vespia having ruled for some nearly six thousand years in all, with various imperial households replacing each other violently over the centuries to become the new ruling dynasty. There has thus always remained a direct connection between the first Tazen of Vespia to its current Tazen.

Vespia is regarded as the first region settled on the continent of Zhakar, with the first humans arriving sometime around -50,000 Ʋ, and settling along the fertile banks of the Zhona. From this river valley arose the first urban civilization in the east, the Aynadiko, a collection of alluvial tribes with various familial bonds that formed the basis of early Vespian civilization. The Aynadiko spread upstream establishing numerous settlements from -20,000 Ʋ to -15,000 Ʋ, until they reached the source of the Zhona in TBD in the southeast. By -1500 Ʋ, prehistoric Vespian culture and religion had matured significantly, with the religious scribes of the population formulating the writing system of the Aynadiko peoples, and a system of government and code of laws based on religious edicts emerging soon after. The oases located near to the Zhona were later settled by the Aynadiko, though the overwhelming majority of the population lived along the river itself near the delta region in the far west. Sometime around, the alluvial tribes of the Aynadiko were united under the aegis of Zhautakin, the first Tazen of Vespia, after waging a series of violent wars of conquest against the various city-states that made up the pre-imperial culture. Zhautakin's reign is generally regarded as the start of the Aynad dynasty, which governed the newly unified empire from to, and serving as the foundation for imperial rule in Vespia.

The first imperial dynasty of Vespia collapsed some 196 years after the unification of the Vespians, leading the way for several successive dynasties to have a hand in shaping the empire. Vespian rule was swiftly expanded across Zhakar over the next five hundred years, with the most notable phase of expansion taking place during the TBD dynasty during the Nth-century Ʋ. Vespia reached the zenith of its pre-industrial power and influence at this time, with relative peace and stability within the no longer threatened by the bickering of minor lords of the nobility caste. The greatest Tazen of the period, TBD, firmly established imperial rule throughout the length of the Zhona, and expanded and professionalized the Vespian military so as to better confront the nomadic raiders throughout the desert regions of the Tuvada. However, fortunes for Vespia were reversed during the Second Tribulation Era, during which time Vespia shattered into some three hundred states with loyalties nominally given to the vestigial Tazen in Zanza, while internecine warfare spread throughout the old empire. Though attempts to reunify the Vespian dominions into a single entity were undertaken by various dynasties following the TBD dynasty in, with varying degrees of success, true unity would elude the Vespian monarchs for some one thousand years. In spite of the breakdown of central imperial authority, with the vast resources of the local mârīn no longer handed over to the Tazen in the capital, the various aureks of the empire funneled vast sums of money into public works, artistic endeavors, and technological breakthroughs; one part to satisfy their personal ambitions and legacy, and another part to overwhelm their neighbors militarily, with the end result sparking a golden age in Vespian history.

Vespia would finally be unified again under TBD of the TBD dynasty in. Tazen TBD had, during his time as the zharuk of Zharan, been the first to industrialize his realm after forcefully centralizing power under his government, stripping the lecherous aureks of his lands. Vespia was swiftly unified during a brief period known as the Reclamation Wars, where imperial authority was re-established throughout the lands that had once sworn fealty to Zanza. With the zharuks of Zharan firmly in control over the newly united empire, Vespian institutions such as the military, economy, priesthood, government, were modernized and reorganized, and the enemies that had taken advantage of its prolonged weakened state, were viciously expelled from traditional Vespian lands into the south. By, Vespia had developed into a modern power though with its unique culture and traditions intact. It never removed the institution of slavery, polygamy, or human sacrifices, along with many other customs that most westerners found repugnant and outright revolting. Because of the prolonged period of isolation from the rest of the world during its political stagnation as a region, Vespia emerged from the age of industrialization as an alien entity that most nations simply refused to cooperate with, and whom the Vespians viewed as absolutely heretical in their "barbarous" beliefs and customs. As such, Vespia entered onto the world stage as a global pariah, marginalized by all, but too vast territorial and too militaristic culturally to restrain as a nation. For the majority of the international community, Vespia would be tolerated, but never accepted.

Following its five centuries of political disintegration, unification, and modernization, Vespia is considered the global bastion of that which is considered evil and beyond redemption for its atrocious human rights records, ranging from practice of human sacrificing, mutilation of individuals, man-hunting,, , , and a wide range of blood sports from the. However, due to the country's vast supply of hydrocarbon resources, industrial capacity, mineral riches, and military capabilities, few nations have been able to ignore the influence of the Vespian state in world affairs. Vespia actively supports tyrannical regimes, supplies weaponry to terrorist organizations, and has provided asylum to war criminals from across the globe. Though bold in its beliefs and behaviors, Vespia has wisely never divulged its geopolitical goals nor admitted to any of its obvious actions in the affairs of neighboring countries. The natural resources have allowed Vespia to maintain a vibrant internal economy, though many political analysts fear what horrors may come in the future when Vespia is no longer able to support itself in the face of increasingly strict and punishing sanctions. When that day comes, it is widely feared by some in the international community that only the combined might of the world's most powerful nations stand any chance at containing the might of the "great desert dragon" that is Godrealm of Vespia.

Etymology
The name Vespia is derived from the name Veskoya, which is believed to have come from two possible sources according to Vespian history. The first source is that of Veskan, the first man to have walked the earth in accordance with Vespian religion. The name Veskoya has traditionally been attributed to Veskan for the majority of Vespian history as part of their reverence for the man whom the believe fathered the Vespian people and established their civilization in Zhakar. The name "Veskan" itself translates into "He Who Walks With Shadows", in reference to Veskan having walked in the shadow of Zhautan during his lifetime, and clearly not in Vespia's sun-bleached lands. The second source comes from the more secular veskīyamâra, meaning "shadow lands". This term has its links in the years immediately after the first recorded documents in Vespia were written, some time around. As with the origin of Veskan's name, veskīyamâra has its origin in the numerous mountainous locations throughout the country, which historically cast their shadows against the plains of Vespia. Additionally, the name has its roots in the inescapable darkness of the desert during the night, at which time most of the predatory creatures would begin to hunt.

A more grizzly source for Vespia's name comes from the violent and sadistic behavior of the Vespian people. The brutality of the population in the past and the present, led to many foreigners claiming the Vespians were the scion of demons, and the very personification of darkness and everything evil and cruel. The use of black in Vespian culture for its religious significance as the color of purity in Vespian society, helped to solidify the persona given to the Vespians. Overtime, the term Jâ'Mâr No'Xâ'Veskīya, or "The Land of Great Shadows" or "Land of Great Darkness", came to represent the Vespians as a whole overseas and home, both for their violent mentality and the dark culture of the people. At the time when the Vespians opened up their capital city of Zanza via the Zhona River, Vespia was officially know as "Veskoya" overseas, using the name which the locals used themselves to describe their homeland. However, as trade with the rest of the world continued to grow, a Westernied version of the name appeared as "Vespya", and was later standardized as "Vespia" by the far western traders some centuries following the standardization of many Vespian names and geographical locations.

Migration to Zhakar
Settlement of the continent of Zhakar by humans has been traced back some nearly 40,000 to 50,000 thousand years, with the first human communities emerging along the banks of the great river Zhona. It is believed that the inhabitants along the Zhona brought with them from the continent Kai-Meridia fire and bronze-making skills, allowing them to take up permanent residence along the river and defend their communities against the large predatory wildlife in the surrounding Tuvada. Migration from the western continent lasted for approximately two centuries, and was comprised almost entirely of what are now referred to as "proto-Vespians", humans belonging to a tribe of hunter-gatherers most likely pushed from their lands by encroaching Kaijin from the Riden Peninsula in the south. Fighting between the two human groups was heavily weighted in favor of the encroaching Kaijin, who wielded bronze weapons and armor, and easily brushed aside the ancestors to the Vespians. With few other options available to them, it is believed that the early Vespians took their chances with the seas, and began migrating eastward.

Over the course of this planned migration, the proto-Vespians became the first-recorded instance of shipbuilders of the period, constructing the simple vessels that would take them from Kai-Meridia to the continent of Zhakar. Following the belt of islands and landmasses that mark the entrance into the TBD Ocean, these early Vespians moved to Zhakar and landed that mouth of the Zhona river where they would eventually establish themselves permanently. Evidence of their eventual arrival is highlighted by the large communal graves discovered along the western coastline of Zhakar, revealing that dozens of corpses were buried with the decayed hulls of the earliest seafaring vessels discovered, no doubt fatalities which occurred during the course of the migration overseas. Among the many effects discovered were stone and obsidian weapons, primitive jewelry, and cloth sacks filled with seeds from Kai-Meridia, all found within the graves along the Zhona Deltas.

Further discoveries made by archeologists were the origins to the modern-day sex ratio within the Vespia, which is currently heavily weighted in favor of the female population. At the time of the migration, due to the heavily fighting back in Kai-Meridia and in Zhakar, much of the male population had been killed over several years of violence. Consequently, at the time the proto-Vespians established themselves on the new continent in the east, only a handful of males were present in the population. By the time of the modern era, it was found that the entire Vespian population was descendant from about a dozen or so surviving males who had survived throughout the migration during its first wave. Though it is believed that the number may have been much higher, existing data shows that the male proto-Vespian population was indeed very small, no doubt in their attempt to prevent the Kaijin from wiping out the women and children and preserving their society by any means necessary.

Aynadiko period
Further research into the history of Aynadiko reveals that over the course of several thousand years, they had devolved into a violent hierarchical population, competing over the scarce resources within the interior of the continent, as the river itself was long isolated from the rest of the global biome, and thus hosted unique and exotic flora and fauna that made much of the land inhospitable. While civilization began to come into form within prehistorical Vespia, environmental and demographic concerns coupled with the dangerous wildlife and geographical hazards, forced the new inhabitants of the land to develop a power-based hierarchy to ensure proper distribution of resources. Indeed, the unearthed remains of human fossils indicate that warfare was rife throughout the region, and that many of the battlefields hosted thousands of individuals who participated in the fighting. Of particular note was the fact that many of the slain discovered were female, an indication of the increasingly important role women played in Vespian society and warfare, as well as the potential state of the male population within the region.

Overtime, however, the development of agriculture as a natural offshoot of riverine settlements saw an increase in population and standards of living, though much of what became known as modern Vespian culture had its origins during the Ayandiko period. The cultivation of rice allowed for most of the proto-Vespian population to transition away from hunting and warfare to farming and rearing of animals. Writing, pottery, mathematics, and astronomy were all developed by the time the period had come to a close, with astronomy in particular having been well-developed by the age of imperial Vespia. By archeological standards, Vespia's prehistorical era is unusually well-documented by sources contemporary for that period, with most information related to the pre-imperial times of Vespia hailing from religious documents. Documentation of rice quotas and cattle counting became a fundamental baseline for the study of early Vespian writing scripts and administrative methodologies. Indeed, many of the recovered texts gave great detail in the day-to-day works of the government, obsessing over details such as accuracy of data and logistics.

Geography
Vespia is the largest country in the world, with a total land area of 18218463.35 km2. Vespia achieved this status sometime around the Nth century Ʋ under the TBD dynasty, when Tazen TBD conquered the lands to the north of the Zhona River seeking to bring under his domain control of the nomadic raiders which plagued his nation for centuries. He mustered an army some 45,000 men strong before marching upon the lands to the north, and subjugating the entire region to the reign of Zanza. The region of land controlled by the Vespians is roughly about a third the size of Kai-Meridia, with most of the nations in the northern regions of that continent able to fit within Vespia itself. Vespia spans nearly half of Zhakar, the continent in which it is located, dominating the northern half of the entire continent. Vespia has the longest coastline in the world, with three major oceans bordering it. To its north is the TBD Ocean, to its west and south is the TBD Ocean, and in the east is the TBD Ocean. The southern border of Vespia is dominated by the imposing Izhono Mountains, which block direct entry into Vespia in most locations with the exception of the far southeast, where a large plateau is located. As a natural effect of its size and geography, Vespia has a vast supply of natural resources in the form of fossil fuels, metal ores, and rare earth minerals, with Vespia's natural gas reserves alone counted as some of the largest in the world.

Climate
Vespia consists almost entirely of the world's largest desert, the Tuvada. The overwhelming majority of Vespia, about ninety percent of the country, is classified as (BWh). The other ten percent is classified as having a (BSh), where the Zhona River originates within the region. The arid nature of the country, comprising most of the Tuvada Desert, has been linked to the presence of a large high-pressure system over the country, driving warm, dry air down from the troposphere, and wet, cool air and wind away from the northern half of the continent, preventing the formation of rain-clouds. Over several millennia, the cycle of warming and drying air from the troposphere, and the unfettered effects of thermal radiation upon the landscape in the northern regions of the continent, produced intensive desertification which resulted in the formation of the modern day Tuvada as an expansive desert region. Humidity in Vespia is one of the lowest in the world, with little rainfall outside of the southeastern quarter of the country.

Because of the stability of the atmosphere and the sustained cycle within the region, cloud formation is largely inconsistent and sparse throughout the region of the desert, and rainfall typically rare throughout most of the country outside of the winter months when cloud formation is most common. Only in the southeastern region of Vespia is there any consistent rainfall, which is vital for the sustenance of the Zhona River flowing through Vespia. In spite of the lack of regular and persistent cloud formation throughout the country, Vespia is home to several hundred oases, many of which are fed by underground aquifers protected from the desertification of the country. Ironically, Vespia, in spite of its status as the world's largest desert nation, is also home to the world's largest aquifer, the Veskishona, formed during the continent's early history as a fertile, well-watered region several million years ago. This aquifer feeds many of Vespia's oases, and in turn, sustains the many tens of millions of Vespians living around them and dependent upon them for fresh water within the desert.

Vespia is, by the standards of most regions in the world, unusually hot, sunny, and dry, with the average temperatures during the day ranging anywhere from 30°C (86°F) to 48.8°C (120°F) closer to the interior of Vespia where the hot winds are more common, and where the humidity can drop as low as 5-8% or less. But aside from this, the weather in Vespia is usually sunny and clear with the rare exception of sandstorms, making Vespia one of the least cloudy regions in the world. Based on this information, the only persistent rainfall in Vespia falls in the southeastern regions where the Zhona originates. The majority of this rainfall appears during the winter months, when the air is most humid in the region and flowing southwards into the Izhono Mountains. What little moisture moving through the eastern regions of Vespia accumulate in the Izhono Mountains, and feed into the basin that drains out north and then west as the Zhona. Thanks to the flooding of the Zhona during the monsoon season, the river regularly replenishes the arable lands of Vespia along the river, giving the country a consistent harvest throughout the year.

Biodiversity and environment
For most of its history, Vespia was one of the most isolated regions in the world, due to its inhospitable and far-flung location far from the majority of the human population. Because of this, the arid lands of Vespia developed one of the most stable ecosystems in the world, even with the growth of the Vespian population along the Zhona. The country is home to more than 4,000 species of flora, but only 300-500 species of fauna adapted to the arid climate of the vast desert. The overwhelming majority of the animal species belong to the insect family, leaving about 50-60 animal species larger than a mouse. Uniquely, the bulk of the animal and plant life in Vespia away from the Zhona are either predatory or venomous, a trait linked to the need of life in the desert to survive through hunting. Closer to the river are all of the passive flora and fauna endemic to the country. On a macro-environmental scale, the Vespian biome is one of the most balanced in the world, with few incidences of over-hunting or overgrazing in the region by the various species in the desert.

Vespia is considered one of the most important ecological regions in the world for its large variety of animal and plant life endemic to the region, in all 2,200 of which are found nowhere else in the world. As aforementioned, the relative isolation of the majority of the country from the rest of the globe, combined with the harsh conditions of the region, allowed for the formation of lifeforms of an almost spectacular kind unique to Vespia. The of Vespia, remarkable for their strange, umbrella-shaped appearance, produce crimson-red sap which boasted a rich aromatic fragrance popular with the Vespian population as both a dye and a perfume. The banks of the Zhona have historically and famously been lined with tall palm trees which played a major role in formation of the Vespian writing system, when priests used reeds to write on the sturdy palm leaves prior to the use of ink and papyrus. As one foreign commentator once pointed out, if not for the many large predatory animals, the Vespians themselves not withstanding, Vespia would have been regarded as a picturesque desert paradise.