Runis
| |
| Flag of Runis | |
| Motto: "Aesch Cale Lan" | |
| Forthcoming | |
| Region | Anticapitalist Alliance |
|---|---|
| Capital | Grand Runis |
| Official Language(s) | Celdonian, Runis and Runin |
| Leader | President Caylee Ehyru |
| Population | 52 million (capped) |
| Currency | Sun |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Contents
Demographics
National Animal: Giant Plains Tortoise
National Plant: Sunflower
National Anthem: Veru Dovi Ae Runsch
Neighbors: ???
Geography
Runis’ nearest neighbors are Arcnow and Wheelchairman to the northeast and east respectively.
The Free Land of Runis is a moderately large nation on the western coast of the continent of Alçaera, it is situated on the east coast of the large bay that locals call the Sea of Gengi. The northwestern most portion of Runis is dominated by a low plateau the locals refer to as the Ventrasei Highlands, or Ventrasuma in the local tongue. Just south of the highlands region is the rocky and relatively inhospitable island province of Dirislan.
The central portion of the region is broad and flat grasslands dominated by the nation's one major city, Grand Runis, giving way to dense forests in the eastern provinces. The nation stretches as far south as to encompass the large Lake Tinya, the lifeblood of the southernmost Anyagengi province.
The country has no major rivers but the plains region is riddled with shallow gullies and streams caused by the historically high winds in that region.
The climate of Runis is generally temperate with short winters, high winds across the central plains, and relatively high rainfall, the northwestern highlands, however, tend to be cool and dry year-round.
People
Historically speaking, the people of Runis classify themselves in five regional cultural and ethnic groups, though most outsiders fail to note any distinctive differences: Runis, Runin, Calegon, Diris, and Umanis. The origins of these ethnic groups are fiercely debated both in Runis and across the continent, but many scholars are coming to the agreement that they are the result of long ago union of ancient, and rather lost, Lengi outcasts, and members of the Arcnow-Detome ethnic group, their culture somewhat resembles the tribal structure of Arcnow but became sedentary and dedicated to agriculture much earlier. Other scholars argue that the Runisians are descended of the Ayahalpa ethnic group.
The people of Runis are slowly emerging from tribal groups and into a broader national identity, and many of the politics of Runisian people still emphasize the insular community. Even if this is the case, a large number of tribes believe that a powerful centralized government would be just as bad as foreign colonization or inhabitation and that influence from outside powers will weaken the local power of the councils, thus creating a large isolationist movement in the country.
While the Runis and Runin people have only just begun to accept the concept of permanent structures of habitation, they developed a sophisticated system of education and tribal communication early in their development which has substantially influenced the structure of the region, particularly in recent times.
History
Ancient History
The country of Runis has long been home to a number of semi-nomadic tribes who often settled down in the extremely fertile and temperate central plains sometime before the common era, sparking the birth of a large regional empire that is referred to in legends as the First Place or 'Gorlan' in the local Runis and Runin languages. A large number of sites have been found indicating the Gorlan empire’s influence as far north as the Arcnow region and far into the southern portion of the continent. The civilization saw its rapid decline in a short number of years when, it is said in legends ’a number of uncouth and vagabonds came on strange scroll ships’ which are believed to be the ancient Lengi outcasts and took control of the center of the empire, leaving the rest to crumble. The strange overlords only managed to rule for a short number of years before the old cities were torn down around them by vengeful locals, who reclaimed their empire but were never able to rebuild it.
With the crumbling of Gorlan estimated around 700BCE, the surviving overlords and locals built up a small kingdom on the Sea of Gengi. This kingdom came to be known as the empire of Shu-Dovi and never was able to expand far inland as many tribes feared further imperial influence and were morally opposed at the time to the construction of permanent wood or stone buildings as they were an affront to nature and the spirits that many of the tribal religions worshiped. The Shu-Dovian princes implemented a strict caste system with the powerful nobles on top, followed by the artists and stoneworkers, followed by the military caste, the farmer caste, with slaves and foreigners falling into subservient roles. The Shu-Dovi empire at its height controlled a large section of coast as well as the island of Dirislan and had turned its gaze further inland oppressing and harrying a number of the smaller tribal groups and winning small victories here and there
In the early second century AD, the tribes of the Calegon ethnic group in the south were united by a Shamaness Queen known only as Gengi, who built up an impressive and well organized military which quickly destroyed the Shu-Dovi empire in a number of stunning military victories. The life of Gengi and her military victories were romanticized shortly after her death and can still be read in the local epic 'Journey of Gengi'. In her honor, her people named the region she had united Anyagengi, which means the waters of Gengi, as it lies between the Sea of Gengi which bears her name, and Lake Tinya where she was said to be born. So called traditional 'Gengi Warriors' still serve the country of Runis as ceremonial guards, police, and parade marshals wearing traditional armor made from the hard, bony-cartilage, outer skin of several species of shark that are indigenous to the Sea of Gengi and Lake Tinya, an armor which, lady Gengi herself is said to have invented.
Shu-Dovi princes still managed to control the island of Dirislan until the island was attacked by Lengi slavers in the late fifteen hundreds, and all resisters in its capital were slaughtered for their resistance. This incident gives the island its name, Dirislan, which translates 'the place of the dead people'.
For the most part, Runisian history remained quiet and uneventful until the arrival of colonists from Guo Leng in 1583, to the island of Dirislan. While this initial attack from Guo Leng failed to take any major hold on the mainland, they constructed a naval fortress on the southern coast of Dirislan and began a major oppression of the island population to take advantage of its rich mineral deposits.
Because it lay at the very edge of both Lengi and Celdonian occupation, the Runis region suffered a very minimal amount of foreign control but an unbelievable amount of foreign aggression, as both Celdonians and Lengi used many of the most violent and creative means possible to subdue and control Runisian locals. As a result of this Runisians were subjected to a large number of relocation programs, overnight genocides of regions, and collonialization by smaller groups of pirates and bandits. After a number of years of this, a major isolationist movement formed in the region and many of the tribes united to remove anyone they perceived to be a foreigner. This was successful in some places, and failed remarkably in others.
Recent History
Ironically, it wasn't until 1919, several years after the withdrawal of Celdonian expeditionary forces that the regional leaders united to fully combat the colonialists in the region and forming four independent nations: Runis, Runin, Calegon, and Urunis. Shortly thereafter in 1921, the island of Dirislan was stormed by an alliance of these nations and the remaining Lengi masters were driven out or killed and the island was granted independence by the alliance. In 1930, the alliance had developed a single central council and agreed upon the flag which Runis still uses to this day, five stars on a green field, four larger stars for the four founding nations and a smaller star for the liberated nation of Dirislan, the stars are septagrams as traditional Runisian religions believe seven to be the number of peace in the numerological language of the spirits.
Because of the brutality of the colonial period, the alliance of nations maintained an overwhelming policy of isolation and a hatred for scientism, technology, and capitalism. It has been only since the decision of the central council of the alliance to unite the nations into one in 1993 that the country has been developing its infrastructure, scientific development, and coming slowly out of its isolationist shell as a result of resource shortages and overabundance of food. The central council of the alliance also mandated that the construction of Grand Runis be constructed on land donate by the nations of Runis Runin and Calegon at the center of a new province that would be largely dedicated to the development of the new nation as a whole. The City of Grand Runis was completed in 2003 as the result of many of the greatest minds and artisans of the five nations. In March of 2003 the first meetings of the House of Schools, and the House of Parties took place to swear into office the newly elected Prime Minister Kyphryn Magnan and President Aaron Halder both from the Runis Isolationist Party (yes, the Celdonian speakers make fun of their acronym but they don‘t believe in foreign languages).
The recent Victory of the Green and Socialist Party of Allied Runis (GASPAR) to win both seats away from the isolationists and also secure a large number of seats in the Central Council marks the end of a long period of isolationist policies in diplomacy and trade. The office of President Caylee Ehyru, who is significant not only for being Runis’ first female president at only the second presidential election, but also for being Runis’ first Transsexual president, have stated that they intend to begin making a signifigant place for Runis on the world stage, to the benefit and continued growth of Runis as a nation.
Government
The government of the Free Land of Runis is still under a great deal of change and in the process of surviving in the aftermath of the second national revolution, the current system is described herein.
Structure
Bodies
1. Local Councils:
Each village, town, and city in each province has its own council body, these councils are perhaps the most important bodies for making decisions about local infrastructure and policy and are important in relaying the will of the grassroots population to the higher councils. For the most part these councils are open to the broader community and there is a great deal of social pressure to participate actively in government at this level. The local councils, by virtue of their knowledge of their own regions have been particularly effective at directing civic works projects and zoning laws to meet the needs of individual communities and help the central government make decisions reguarding the distribution of its meager resources to needy regions. (open membership)
2. Provincial Councils:
Local councils each, based upon local population, elect a representative or representatives into the body of their Provincial council. Each of the twelve provincial councils serve a dual function, first to arbitrate the legal and judicial needs of their province and educate their members to act as professional jurists for their individual communities to set up civil-law courts as they become needed. The second responsibility of the Provincial councils is to oversee and compile the census of both population, need, and resources for their province and relay it to the higher levels of government for assesment and action. Provincial councils have the power to engage in actions limiting the power of the central government to a certain degree by passing demands and setting goals for branches of the central government. The great challenge of the central government is often juggling the needs of each province in terms of national efficacy. (term 1 year, no limit)
3. Central Council:
The Provincial council elects a number of representatives to a small body known as the Central council which is the ultimate body of the Runis legal system. Made up of successfull jurists and experts of the Provincial councils, the job of the central council is to interperet laws and carry out federal law courts and ensure the fairness of administrative decisions (term 4 years)
4. House of Parties:
The house of parties is a central body for making law and policy in Runis. Known for its sometimes brutal debate and argumentation the moderators attempt to maintain a level of healthy dialogue that does not erupt into chaos. Members of the House of Parties are elected by the general population every two years and are generally endorsed by one of the many accepted political parties of Runis. These individuals are often identified in their debates by their names and their positions in debates and dialogues and rarely by their faces or any other facts of their lives to promote a rational and active choice in their election rather than emotional whim. The Green Socialist Party currently holds the majority of seats in the House of Parties, followed closely by the Socialist Labour Party, the Party for Peace, and the Social Democrats. The Runis Isolationist Party, the Neo-Conservative Party, The International Workers' Party, The People's Party, and the Progressive parties all hold a marginal percentage of seats in the house of Parties but continue to excercise their ability to make their views known.
5. House of Schools:
The house of schools is comprised of high ranking educators and Jurists in the Runisian universities around the country. These individuals set the prescedent for many of the arguments that go on in the house of Parties. The responsibilities of the hosue of schools is to advise the other government organizations and parties. All parties are required to have supporters in the house of Schools in order to begin attaining seats in the house of parties.
6. The Presidency
The President of Runis is elected out of the members of the House of Parties by the general population of Runis and serves primarialy to protect the interests of Runis in the areas of international policy and trade. The President serves in two year terms to a maximum of ten years.
7. The Ministry
The Prime Minister of Runis is elected by the general population out of the House of Schools and serves as the primary moderator for both Houses. Serves for terms of two years, cannot serve in consecutive terms but may serve for a total of six terms.
Current Important Figures
The following were sworn into office March 1, 2005
President: Caylee Ehyru (Green Socialists)
Prime Minister: Dr. Rowe Taran (Green Socialists)
Minister of Defense: Seth W. Montgomery (International Workers' Party)
Minister of Peace: Dr. Dovian Midh (Party for Peace)
Director of Transportation: Aldon Ven Vandonis (Socialist Labour Party)
Director of RCIRD (Runis Center for Inter-Religious Dialogue): Miriam Bargardos (Green Socialists)
Minister of Trade: Sien Vlagis (Social Democrats)
Central Council Speaker: Tianna LurNihm (Green Socialists)
Central Council Representatives (term served/province/party): Tianna LurNihm (second term/East Runis/Green Socialists) Evan Aetarin (first term/West Runis/Green Socialists) Maiya Farlan (first term/Santlan/Socialist Labour Party) Alamut Lukhan (third term/Dirislan/Isolationists) Accresil Lois (first term/East Runin/Party for Peace) Skrailos Majere (second term/West Runin/Socialist Labour Party) Vodel KaChel (first term/Ventrasuma/Green Socialists) Dr. Xiang Rei (first term/Anyagengi/International Workers' Party) Nathan Ehyris (first term/Urunis/Green Socialists) Shasta Whitran (second term/Calegon/Green Socialists) Raul Hara (first term/Magislan/Green Socialists) Gorak Garnan (first term/Mirislan/Socialist Labour Party)
Politics
Recent policies in Runis have come about as a result of Runis’ somewhat backwards tribal culture, and seemingly out of place intellectual mentality.
Runis’ government is run primarily by a large number of small, tribal councils which report to provincial councils in each of Runis’ twelve political provinces (East Runis, West Runis, East Runin, West Runin, Ventrasuma, Calegon, Anyagengi, Urunis, Santislan, Mirislan, Magislan, and Dirislan) which then report to the central council which makes decisions based upon referenda from the local and provincial councils and filters data back down to its source. Two other bodies exist: the House of Parties, and the House of Schools. The house of Parties is responsible for providing candidates for the presidency and passing laws regarding international trade, diplomacy, and laws pertaining to the capital city. The House of Schools is responsible for providing candidates for the Prime Ministry and for advising the Central Council and House of Parties as well as collecting and distributing scholarly data throughout the country.
The Prime Ministry’s primary responsibility is to maintain order and legitimacy within the Houses and to see to the implementation of national projects decided upon by the councils. Sie is responsible directly to the central council and as a result all provincial and tribal councils. The Prime Ministry is also responsible for opening new Ministries with the approval of the councils to deal with aspects of development. Minister Magnan created five lesser ministries: Defense, Transportation, Peace, Religion, and Trade.
The offices of the President is primarily responsible for the management of foreign relations and military application. Since the foundation, however, military application has been a moot point because of the major successes of the GASPAR, RIP, and the Party for Peace in promoting pacifism as a standard for Runisian Life.
The major parties in Runis are currently the Green and Socialist Party of Allied Runis, the Socialist Labour Party, and the Party for Peace. Minor parties include the Runis Isolationist Party which has declined significantly in a period of only two years, the Neo-Conservative Party, The International Workers' Party, The People's Party, and the Progressive Party.
The office of the Prime minister is currently working to speed up the development of a nationwide mass transit system as cars were outlawed by the isolationist regime and the central council does not intend on lifting the ban for environmental and economic reasons.
The office of the President has recently made the decision to sign both the IFTA and CACE charters in an attempt to bring greater amounts of resources and greater political importance to Runis. Many speculate that she is readily preparing to sign on to the Alçaeran Union in order to increase Runis’ influence on the continent and seek aid in developing its severely lagging defense and economy.
