Osarius
The Kingdom of Osarius (/oʊˈsɑrjʉs/ oh-SAHR-yus) is an environmentally stunning nation in the region of Atlantian Oceania, located in the northern part landmass of Cyanea, known as Rabastor in old Osarian tribal language. The current monarch and head of state is Benedict I, of the House of Aurumia.
History
Founding
The land upon which the Kingdom of Osarius exists today was originally the settling place of a community of explorers of unknown origin. They originally arrived in what is now the Hearthlands region of the nation, with historians suggesting that the location was chosen based on its high proportion of corn and rice plants, and birds – which were skinned for a form of currency. The explorers built their homes out of the bones of larger prey, with larger leaves from the various near-tropical flora in the region placed on top as a roof.
The explorers slowly split into groups as their population increased, and distinct divisions became apparent, eventually creating various clans and tribes across the land. These tribes were sometimes vastly different from one another, with those who could best tolerate the arid climate of the south-east forming groups in what is now Tubriss. On the other hand, those who found the humidity and warmer climate of the south tough to bear in the summer months, migrated north, toward the former Kingdom of Akachi in what is now Applegrass. Newer immigrant tribes, or explorers, often found themselves "discovering" the south coast, and largely wound up in the region that would later become Dynapolis.
Despite their lack of proximity – in terms of settlement – in many cases, these various tribes – often along with other immigrant tribes – would war often. It is hard to tell what the reasons were, though historians suggest it was largely over hunting territory. Evidence found in caves and burial mounds across the nation depict the peoples of most tribes as keen hunters, with weaponry with typical markings of some tribes found large distances from any sign of a tribal settlement. As these tribes warred, it appears that a common practice was for a tribe to capture an enemy tribe's first born children, and leave their skinned heads on the borders of their territory. It was believed this would ward off evil, and rival tribes. These actions escalated, leading to mass slaughters in various situations, and the eradication of entire tribes in many cases.
While the explorers began to take over much of mainland Osarius, there was a growing population of indigenous peoples on the far western peninsula of what is now Ikuturso, and the nearby islands – Kyoshiku, and Kholanaras – which was slowly spreading south and east, toward the mainland. Their progress halted when they began to encounter mainland tribes in what is now the Ethea area of Ikuturso. Carvings found in the area, dating back to that time period, depict the indigenous people as being triumphant over the mainland tribes, who seemingly feared them and their sea-serpent deity. The indigenous people were driven back when Edaj Nostaw expanded his sphere of influence later, and were wiped out in huge numbers, leaving a relatively small number on the two off-shore islands.
Development
- For more detail, see Nostaw Era (Osarius)
Slowly, the different tribes across Osarius began to merge, realising they could trade, or barter, or simply co-exist, complementing each others' strengths, and the foundations of society were formed. It was during this time period that one particular man came to the forefront; Edaj Nostaw. He led a unification war across Osarius, between the various tribes, which led to the formation of a military based dictatorship. It was from this military system that the current government evolved, and he set up his base in the Mount Crown region of Osarius, due to its natural defenses of sea to the east and mountain to the north.
Under Nostaw's rule, those who resisted were either executed, or exiled from the nation. Many of those exiled ended up on the unmapped Isle of Eristicea to the east, where their historically documented rebelliousness has become a way of life. However, the majority of those exiled went west, into what is now the Osarian region of Fourge. As the former Kingdom of Akachi expanded in and around that region, however, those exiles were forced further north, eventually disappearing beyond the mountains which serve as a natural border between Osarius and modern day Kryosis. The ill-feeling toward Osarians – particularly those of Akachese descent – remains in Kryosis, although many bloodlines are spread between the nations. Shortly after the mass exodus of rebels, Nostaw annexed Akachi, as a result of the colloquially named Typo War. However, he would later claim it was part of his grand plan to unite all tribes to create a single, combined nation of people. Historians have long debated whether Nostaw was a noble crusader who sought only peace, or merely a megalomaniacal, warlord tyrant.
Monarchy
As the population of Osarius grew, more conflicts took place between varying factions and tribes, often influenced by external forces such as the Kryosi to the north. It was the result of one of these – the War of the Metals, between the House of Aurumia and the House of Argento – that saw a veritable monarchy established in Osarius. The two families had grown in importance to the point that they each had veritable claims to being the ruling family of the nation. They warred for decades, until finally the Aurumia won decisive victories in three successive battles – the Battle of Doulea, the Battle of Menai and the Battle of Cupressa – in which several prominent figures were killed, leaving the Argento effectively without a military leader. The Aurumia presented their victory to the people as a sign of their greater strength, and thus suitability to rule, before taking control of the entire nation and summarily executing remaining Argento followers considered to have "the potential for rebellion". The remainder of the defeated family was exiled, and settled on the island of Aquillian, far from home. Many years later, this island would be held responsible for various attacks of Osarian merchant ships in distant lands. In response, Osarius conquered the island by force and made it a colony. Later, when the political climate cooled, the island was granted dominion status, which it retains to this day. The House of Aurumia have proven very popular among Osarians, however, and have ruled the nation for several centuries with little challenge to the throne.
Geography
The landscape of Osarius is largely level, though a few notable towns and cities exist at high altitude, such as Barcho in the south-east and Carbonia in the north-west. The only notable settlement below sea level in Osarius is Blacktube. There are very few mountains outside the Carbos in northern Fourge and the Alepids in the northern part of the Mount Crown region – which between them form a sort of barrier with Kryosis to the north – and only two are of note; Mount Crown and Edaj Mount. There exists also just one volcano in mainland Osarius (Mount Ikuturso). The general flatness of the land makes for larger cities in terms of area, and greater ease in traversing the country, though its size often necessitates travel by air anyway.
There are also two small islands off the west coast of Osarius, which are considered territories of the Crown. They are Kyoshiku Island and Kholanaras Island, the latter of which is named for the shield volcano that forms much of its landmass. Both have a single major city each, with a tropical monsoon climate. The islands are both well known for their large indigenous population, which consists largely of two tribes split across the two islands, with a majority of one of the two on either island.
Several rivers run through Osarius, the two largest being the River Elishat and the River Barciddia. Both rivers pass through the capital city of Burningham, crossing at the heart of the city. These two rivers are responsible for providing the majority of the nation's water supply via their numerous subsidiaries. The Elishat flows south out of the out of the Alepid mountains, before heading west as it exits Burningham. From there, it runs through the northern part of the Hearthlands, between Renneville and Firewood, before passing just south of Greeningham and emptying into the ocean north of Hollybrent via the Byrsic Delta. The Barciddia's source is far less certain. It is certainly fed by Lake Ursea in the Hearthlands region, but before that, it is uncertain. The river runs north east, passing through Burningham, before doubling back toward the southern part of the Mount Crown region, where it empties into the ocean just north of Yurendam via the Barcid Delta.
Climate
- For more information, see Climate of Osarius
The regions of Osarius can vary widely in climate due to geographical features, ranging from the bitter cold in the mountainous northern Fourge to the tropical monsoon climate of heavily forested western Ikuturso, to the hot, arid climate of the desert areas in central and southern Tubriss. Generally, though, Osarius has a subtropical climate, and usually experiences mild winters and warm summers with a temperature range of around fifty degrees celsius, and plentiful rainfall.
Regions and Districts
- For more information on the administrative system of Osarius, see Osarian Parliament
The nation of Osarius is split into seven regions, each of which contains a number of districts. There are thirty-seven districts in total, and each district is administrated by a seven person council known as a septovicium. Regions are controlled by regional duoviri, elected every four years by the citizens of their respective region. This devolved system of government allows the First Minister to focus on nationwide issues, while allowing each region to operate with a degree of autonomy. The First Minister then reports to the monarch, who enacts all nationwide edicts and legislature. Each region is limited in that they cannot create laws of their own, though they can enact "regional statutes" which govern varying aspects of society, "with the intent of preserving the cultural heritage of the region, or nation" as long as they have the Royal Seal of Approval, and a minimum 67% vote in favour of the statute on a regional plebiscite.
Major cities used to often share their names with their districts, due to their ever-expanding influence. For example, Golden Palace was considered to be outside the city limits of Burningham, but it was still in the district of the same name. This trend was deemed confusing for tourists, and as such, the districts were renamed in 2217.
Demographics
Population
The population of Osarius is debated often, but it is generally accepted that the number of inhabitants is around 108 million (2190 census). Of those, it is estimated that approximately 84% of them are Osarian (including indigenous peoples). The sharp decline since the last census is attributed to a dramatic increase in immigration over the past two decades. This shift sees Osarius slowly developing a small number of "multi-cultural" cities, where larger communities of non-Osarians have gathered, such as Firewood, Greeningham, Jraxville and Masaka.
Osarius has a relatively high life expectancy of 78 years, believed to be an indirect consequence of both the well-funded national healthcare system, and high standard of education within Osarius, despite cutbacks in state pension schemes in the mid 2170s. The increasing population of over 60s led to a change in legislation in 2186, moving the pension-eligible age to 65 years, rather than 60. Now, approximately 15% of the population are of pensionable age.
Ethnicity
Among the estimated 91 million Osarian natives, there are thirty-seven surviving tribes (of an estimated number exceeding a thousand), the vast majority of the others being wiped out in the unification war. The most prominent of these tribes – aside from the indigenous peoples of the Ba'iora and Namata – are the Nostaw, the Obitimira, and the Surpo. An estimated 57% of all Osarian natives are descended from one of these three tribes. Another notable population group is Akachese, making up an estimated 7% of the population. Akachese are the peoples of the nation of Akachi (now making up large portions of the region of Applegrass), assimilated – and thus considered Osarian natives for political purposes – by Osarius after the Typo War.
Education
Education in Osarius is mandatory until age 16, while the system is well-funded and available to all citizens free of charge until age 18. From this point, it is paid for through college and university tuition fees, though the government has attempted to keep these costs as low as possible, and endeavours to provide as much funding as can be afforded to these institutions. The measures appear to be working, as the 2190 census indicates that approximately 79% of all 18-25 year olds in Osarius are receiving, or have received, higher education.
Religion
Religion in Osarius is not a major factor in the lives of the majority. Only 24% of Osarians consider themselves to be adherents to a religion, half of them being Jedi, or followers of religions widely considered "extreme", such as Violetism, Jashinism or Ikutursism. The reigning King, Benedict I, identifies himself as a "non-practising Taoist".
Languages
According to the 2190 census, approximately 91% of the Osarian population speaks English as a first language, the only other notable first languages being Kryosi – spoken only by immigrants from Kryosis – and Spanish, mostly spoken by Aquilliano people. There are, however, several hundred dialects and a few old tribal languages still in regular use across the country. The King speaks the officially recognised dialect, Aurumian English.
Sports
There is a large sporting community in Osarius, and successes in athletic events have long served as the nation's primary claim to fame throughout the multiverse. Within Osarius, most interest is in the national sport of GraviBall, the globally popular association football, or combat sports.
Football
- For more information, see Association football in Osarius
The Osarian Professional Football League, founded in 2137, grew rapidly before it underwent dramatic changes in the late 2190s. After being relaunched in 2200 as the Osarian League of Association Football (OLAF) as part of the OFA's larger scheme to improve the quality of players in the nation – and by extension, the national team – the OLAF lasted only a decade in that incarnation, before merging with LigAnaia, a multi-association league based primarily in north-east Atlantian Oceania. The OLAF still operates leagues which act as tier four and below in Osarius, with new, dedicated cup competitions for the clubs who did not depart for LigAnaia and have not earned promotion since. Starting in 2170, Osarius began competing in officially sanctioned football events with teams from all over the multiverse. In 2215, Osarius was recognised for excellence on the international football stage with induction into the World Cup Nation Hall of Fame. In 2216, the national team won the AOCAF Cup with an under 25 squad, before a squad unrestricted by age reached the final of, and won, the 70th World Cup, cementing their position as the best football nation in the multiverse according to the KPB rankings.
Combat sports
- For more information, see Combat sports in Osarius
Unlike most nations, Osarius legalises and sanctions blood sports for citizens, and all combat and blood sport events are monitored and governed by the Osarian Combat Federation (OCF). The OCF has issued championships in varying weight classes and age brackets for seventeen disciplines of combat, including Mixed Martial Arts, Knife Fighting, Kendo, Jousting and the public favourite, Gladiator Fighting. Maxi "The Millionaire" Killick is a now-retired, former OCF Champion of legendary status, well-known to the majority of the Osarian population as the first "Omnifighter". For some time, Osarian athletes branched out from OCF and were heavily involved in Global All-Arts Fighting (GAAF) and later the Arena of NationState Fighters (ANSF) to mixed successes.
GraviBall
- For more information, see GraviBall
GraviBall, being a sport of Osarian invention, is immensely popular within the nation, though it's popularity has not extended beyond Osarius' borders. The GraviBall League of Osarius (GBLO) was founded in 2127, and has been the main sporting attraction in the country ever since. Osarius Sports Network (OSN) have since made three dedicated channels to the sport to cover its immense appeal. The growing popularity of association football and gridiron football has seen a slight decline in interest in GraviBall among younger groups, perhaps owing to their inability to play the sport, whereas they are able to freely compete in the former two. The GBLO continues, however, to capture greater audiences than any sport in the country, with only OCF events coming close to its viewing figures until 2210, when association football began to capture more attention, too.
It is believed that the prominence of GraviBall – and the immense amounts of money involved – have held back progress in other athletic pursuits in Osarius. This would likely be due to the majority of elite young Osarian athletes choosing to pursue a career in GraviBall over other options. This trend began to change in the 2190s, and by 2215 the three major athletic paths in Osarius had a roughly even share of elite young talent.
Other sports
While the majority of Osarian talent gravitates toward the "big three" The Osarian National Athletic Committee (ONAC) oversees and governs all sports in the nation which are not covered by the OCF or an individual governing body (e.g. Football is governed by the Osarian Football Assocation). A notable exception to this rule is that amateur combat sports still come under the regulation of the ONAC, despite the existence of the OCF. This is primarily to allow the ONAC greater control over the development of potential Olympic candidates, however, and in practice, the OCF still runs the majority of competitions &ndash most notably, the Junior Ace series for combatants aged 17 to 19 years.
The ONAC sent a contingent of over 150 athletes to the Fourth Summer Olympics in Aeropag, in an effort to begin establishing the nation as a sporting power. The contingent picked up three bronze medals, one in Tennis, and two in Boxing. They have returned in the two successive summer games, to mixed successes, and Olympic participation was suspended after that due to conflicts between the ONAC and the governing bodies of the major sports within Osarius.
There is also a thriving collegiate sports community in Osarius, also now governed by the ONAC, though the collegiate branch, Osarian Commission for Collegiate Athletics (OCCA) operates as a separate body. OCCA covers all sports at collegiate level, except football (covered by the OFA) and GraviBall; which is not contested at collegiate level, though the Osarian GraviBall Federation does sanction a version of the game with modified rules for college age players. Only some combat sports are permitted at collegiate level, and collegiate competitors are prohibited from entering the OCF's Junior Ace tournaments. Critics claim this weakens the strength of Olympic programs, as the best athletes will go to the semi-professional Junior Ace tournaments as a route into the OCF, rather than compete in OCCA competitions for a narrow shot at the Olympic games. It is speculated that this is part of the reason the ONAC suspended Olympic participation, as Osarius is not considered strong in many Olympic sports beyond combat sports and association football.
In 2175, petitions for a national professional gridiron football league began to appear. These calls gained support and momentum when the national side – made up of then amateur and college players – reached the quarter finals of, and ultimately won, the Baptism of Iron VIII. The ONAC – in partnership with OSN – announced the formation of the Osarian Gridiron Football League (The OSAGIF League) shortly after the tournament. The national gridiron team spent some time being consistently ranked in the top 15 in the world, but are yet to claim a World Bowl championship. At college level – the Utica University Tigers – is considered one of the best in international competition, having reached four Championship games in NationStates College Football, winning two titles across the past decade.
National symbols
The most recognisable national symbol is that of the Firebird, also known as the Phoenix (Buteo polemaetus igneus), an emblem of the House of Aurumia. It was adopted after the re-unification of the many territories into a single Kingdom again.
Other symbols include:
- Swan (adopted from Callistea; for the Queens of Osarius, who are always Callistean)
- Fireflower (Thalassanthus annuus)
- Emberroot (Maranta pueraria carbonicus)
The region of Dynapolis, formerly the stronghold of the House of Argento – largest and most dangerous rivals to the House Aurumia, defeated during the War of the Metals – retains the Argento symbols of the Dragon and Panther, both of which are often adopted by separatist movements in the area.