Corvistan Republic

The Corvistan Republic is a union of eight major city-states connected by a national government. It is located on the eastern side of Bautlaon and currently has control of most of the major ports on the Herlbatian Sea, as well as most of mainland Herlbatus. The main administration carries out its duties in Corvista, the capital of the Republic.

Geography
The Republic encroaches on the Iremus forest on its west side and the Ziefrella ocean to the northeast. It surrounds the Herlbatian Sea and controls a number of islands within it.

Herlbatus
The plains of the Republic are named for the ancient elven civilization that made its home there. About 3600 PI, the elven tribes of Bautlaon founded the first large and permanent nation on the continent and called it Herlbatus. At this point in history, the northern and southern fields were a single landmass, as the sea that divides the had not existed yet. The nation encompassed the entirety of these plains, as well as extended into the Iremus forest and the Alpatetes, and had smaller dominions in the Raventi plains and what is now the lands of the Aeroloth.

The Barren Tide
Although Bautlaon was not the location for many of the battles of the Imprisonment, it certainly took damage from the gods' war. In the year circa 450 PI, the east side of the continent was assailed by massive floods and terrifying monsters created by Raisana. These floods (known now collectively as "The Barren Tide") lasted years on end, and many of the people who called the nation home either left in fear for their lives or perished in the assault. Eventually, Ara was able to combat the floods and the accompanying terrors and contain the threat within the Herlbatian sea. But despite the eventual end of the floods, most of Herlbatus was destroyed. The cities that remained were changed forever: those that were more inland barely scraped by, and those that were close to bodies of water (specifically the new sea) adapted to a more maritime lifestyle, such as Lanis Del and Mungriel.

A New Republic
For generations, the remaining people of the plains struggled to recover from the tragedy. The change from a landlocked society to a seafaring one was not instantaneous; it took many generations for them to begin to prosper again. But eventually they did, creating bustling, independent cities full of thriving business. The cities began to reconnect and construct roads between each other. Soon, these trade routes were overseen by a council of representatives from each city. This council coordinated caravans that traversed the plains and funded repairs to the cities and the roads. Most consider the adoption of the Council of Corvista name in 230 IW to be the date the Republic was officially established.

Present Day
Since the Council began assisting in traders' affairs, the increased reliability as well as new resources granted by the Herlbatian Sea allowed for exponential growth and expansion of each city. They have also increased the power of the Council itself by introducing a number of new positions outside of the core eight members.

Politics
The Council of Corvista is the primary body of governance for the Republic. It is composed of eight regional Suzerains, each of which are also their respective cities' leaders. They are appointed by a group of 150 randomly selected citizens of their cities and serve until abdication or until they are unfit to govern. In addition, there are five other specialized members that handle a specific aspect of the Republic's duties. These members are appointed by the other eight members of the council and also serve until they abdicate or until they are seen as unfit to govern. The current members are:

Corvista Suzerain

Luj'Eon Naeyarus: nonbinary high elf. Has occupied seat for 107 years.

Lanis Del Suzerain

Torcyne Daronn: female sea elf. Has occupied seat for 78 years.

Rockspire Suzerain

Phaen Orris: female human. Has occupied seat for 22 years.

Eveshore Suzerain

Ellen Petdithas: male half elf. Has occupied seat for 51 years.

Piak Suzerain

Sheel Alavara: male high elf. Has occupied seat for 90 years.

Mungriel Suzerain

Daena Nindr: nonbinary half elf. Has occupied seat for 6 years.

Dusk's Refuge Suzerain

Qea'la Ulrandir: female wood elf. Has occupied seat for 65 years.

Xher'Vas Suzerain

Valyuun Hortanze: female blue dragonborn. Has occupied seat for 19 years.

Suzerain of Civic Advancement

Markus Fialand: male half-elf. Has occupied seat for 2 years.

Suzerain of Defense

Ayesha Al-Marquin: female human. Has been on the council for 31 years and has occupied current seat for 20 years. Actually formerly the Suzerain of Xher'Vas but took on this role during an attack by followers of Raisana.

Suzerain of Transport

Ophe Lin: male wood elf. Has occupied seat for 210 years.

Suzerain of Diplomacy

Gregor Irithel: male half-elf. Has occupied seat for 65 years.

Suzerain of Judgement

Reerita Hawyull: female halfling. Has occupied seat for 55 years.

Military
The Republic did not have any form of national guard until recently. In 2992, followers of Raisana sought to break the bindings created by Ara that contained the Herlbatian Sea. They nearly succeeded in this task; by releasing a minor deity called Seilakii, the cult was able to inflict massive damage on Mungriel, where it is rumored one of these binds lie. During the weeks-long assault, the Council of Corvista decided it would be in their best interest to bring together fighters from around the Republic to counter the attack. The army was composed of approximately 200 people chosen at random (primarily from the city-states closer to Mungriel) and approved by a few reviewers that tested each candidate's physical fitness. Eventually Seilakii was defeated and the surviving members voted to take the name Surakshi.

Since then, the Council decided to keep the Surakshi in operation. However, they decided it would be best to run it in the form of a reserve. Members are not drafted, but enlist. They undergo a period of intense physical training and then are released to return to their normal life. While they are enlisted, they may be called to service. This service typically entails several months of lawkeeping in a city, much like the Luminguard of the Djintarian Empire, though if there is some sort of large conflict such as a war or another monstrous incursion they may be directed to fighting on the front lines.

Each Surakshi is paid in a small stipend allocated near the beginning of each month. When called to service, they are outfitted with chain armor, a shield, and a longsword. They are also given a talisman bearing a modified version of the Republic's symbol to mark their position and rank.

Economy
The individual city-states of the Republic have varying resources on which they base their economies. For example, the port cities like Lanis Del

Religion
Despite the Republic's long and unfortunate suffering at the hands of the gods, the government usually does not regulate which deities citizens worship. However, worshippers that commit or celebrate foul acts for religious purposes are apprehended and put on trial. This trial decides if they should be sentenced for their acts. It also initiates an investigation into the defendant's chosen deity and a possible restriction or regulation of worship for that deity.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, Raisana's worship is wholly banned because of the many attacks on the Republic on her behalf.

Diplomacy
The Republic maintains ties with a number of foreign nations. Listed below are the current status of notable affiliations:

The Djintarian Empire
The Empire is the Republic's closest economic partner. Because of the physical separation presented by the Torn Ridges and the Iremus Forest, the two nations have never come into direct conflict over borders or otherwise.

Since the recent adoption of airships from Exadris, the two nations have engaged in

List of Current City-States

 * Corvista
 * Lanis Del
 * Rockspire
 * Eveshore
 * Piak
 * Mungriel
 * Dusk's Refuge
 * Xher'Vas