Kizenia

Kizenia (formerly New Endralon) was founded by exiles from Endralon in the central region of the continent of Keris. The majority of these exiles were leftists, although not all were, such as the right-wing Imperial Individualists and the Nihilist Fascist Collegiality. It is currently known formally as the Confederaţia Unite ale Kizenia şi Kuzaki (United Confederation of Kizenia and Kuzaki)

Geography
Kizenia, physically, consists of three river valleys and rugged mountains dividing the valleys. Half the nation's territory lies within the Tilarnia River Valley, which covers much of Kuzaki and Tilarnia provinces, as well as parts of Kutohaderia and Tiania. It is by far the nations largest river system, the Tilarnia and Kutohaderia Rivers (which join at the triple point between the Tilarnia, Kutohaderia and Kuzaki provinces), and is fed by mountains in all five provinces.

Smaller, but more agriculturally important, are the Sodali River Valley (mostly in Sodali province, but includes small parts of Kutohaderia) in the northeast of the nation, and the western half of the Tiania River Valley, in Tiania province.

Kizenia maintains a system of highways, interlinking the provinces, in addition to an older, mostly Colonial era, railroad network which still has operational segments for freight and limited intra-city segments.

History
Kizenia has had a wildly fluxuating national identity, with at least three periods of government by Communism, two Monarchies, two liberal republics, and an absolute theocracy (amongst others) throughout its near milennium of independence. It's initial form was as a Communist Republic, which historically seemed the most stable of the governments. For most the past milennium, it was known internationally as New Endralon, a name dating to its prior status as a colony, then a break-away province, of the Republic of Endralon.

Pre-Civilization
The Kizenian Tribes are believed to be kin to the other tribes of Keris, ultimately having migrated to Keris from either the south or the east during pre-history. The Kizenians settled mainly in the three Great Valleys of Kizenia; the Western (modern Tilarnia and Kuzaki), Eastern (Sodali) and Southern (Tiania) Kizenian Valleys were able to gradually develop distinct but related hunter-gatherer societies, with some limited trade with their Dolgarian, Egelian and Trigunian cousins.

Warring States of Kizenia
Approximately 500 CE, the first evidence of proto-Kuzaki settlers in the Northern portion of the Western Valley emerged. It is unclear to this day whether these settlers were descended from the Gao-Showa directly, or were merely a cousins via a common ancestor, but their arrival was the first major shock to Kizenian culture and civilization to actually be recorded; it is at this point that Kizenian history in fact began to be written of at all, as the Kuzaki had a written language, but the various Kizenian tribes did not. The word Kizenian itself is believed to be based on the Kuzaki words for energy and natural balance, as the Kuzaki initial impression of Kizenians was as an energetic but childish race of forest dwellers. The settlers founded what ultimately became the modern city of Tottori, and established the first nation of Kuzaki, and their population grew rapidly.

By the year 800, the Kuzaki settlement had de facto control over the entirety of Kuzaki, Kutohaderia and Tilarnia Provinces, having explored and enslaved the inhabitants, and converted many of the ancient forests into farmlands and mines. Kizenians in Sodali fought the first major battle in 833, near Grane, in an effort to repulse the Kuzaki hunger for land and slaves; they were soundly defeated, but this battle sparked the beginnings of Kizenian identity and Kizenian nationality. Survivors of the battle who escaped to Sodali were able to rouse the natives there to defense, and the large mountains separating North and South Kizenia proved an adequate barrier and deterrent against further Kuzaki incursion. For three centuries, Kizenian civilization grew in Sodali, while the Kuzaki attempted to keep control of their lands and their slaves in the North.

Colonial Era
In the 1700s, explorers from the other continents of Terra began their explorations of Keris; Endralon was able to establish a permanent colony near what is now Fluviului, in Sodali Province, after routing the Kuzaki defense there, in a battle that pitted ship-mounted cannons versus bows and arrows. The Endralonians were able to quickly bring additional manpower to defend their colony, and over the course of fifty years, they expanded and defeated both the Kuzaki north and the Kizenian south, establishing the territory as three Colonies - Sodali Colony, Kuzaki Colony, and Kitenia (later Tiania) Colony. Under Endralonian rule, Kuzaki and Kizenian alike were slaves, and although conditions were less brutal than under the Kuzaki whip, Kizenians brustled under it, particularly those from the free South.

New Endralon
In the 2100s, the Keris Colonies broke away from Endralon, after a political schism formed, putting the left-wing exiles against the right-wing of Endralon. These left-wing exiles were able to successfully maintain political control in the Colonies, and declared the three Colonies to be the Socialist Republic of New Endralon. Nominally a Marxist nation, the SRNE largely maintained the racial divisions that had predated independence, with the colonials firmly atop the ladder, and the natives suitable for little more than hard labor.

Gradually, however, as educational opportunities found their way to the native classes, the nation evolved from an Endralon-controlled nation, to an Endralon-dominated one, and ultimately to a Majoritarian nation where the Kizenian language and Kizenian people held increasing importance.

Kizenian New Endralon
Following the fall of the SRNE, New Endralon flirted with several other political systems, ranging from theocracy and dictatorship to liberal republicanism and capitalism.

Government and Politics
Currently, Kizenia is a Liberal Confederation, at least in name. Pundits often claim the nation is more-or-less a cult of personality - a statement that was literally true before the formation of the Socialist Republic in the 2800s, when the nation was a Republic in name, but an absolute Theocracy in practice.

The current ruler of the nation is Regina Alexandra, also known as Anaïs V, as she is the fifth head of state from the line of Anaïs Kuzaki. She is the granddaughter of Ai Anaïs (III), who overthrew the former government of her grandmother, the "goddess" Jade Anaïs (II), who was herself the daughter of assassinated President Anaïs Kuzaki. The country has been ruled since 2788 by a female of the direct Anaïs line, meaning that the next head of state is likely to be a daughter of Alexandra or a female cousin. The nation gradually changed from a Socialist Republic to a Confederation form of government, culminating with the official name change in 2924.

Demographics
Ethnic composition of Kizenia today:


 * Kizenian - 73%
 * Kuzakijin - 21%
 * Endralonian - 3%
 * Other - 3%

Ethnicity within Kizenia is generally defined by physical appearance and self-identification, as well over half of all Kizenians are of mixed ancestry as between Kizenian and Kuzakijin lines, and virtually no pure-blooded Endralonians remain, aside from relatively recent immigrants from Endralon. Self-identification as Kuzakijin is increasing subsequent to the grant of autonomy of the Kuzaki province, and the physically Kuzakijin traits of the Anais line (although Anais Kuzaki herself was considered physically Kizenian).

Linguistic composition (by first language):


 * Kizenian fluency - 76%
 * Kuzakigo fluency - 21%
 * Endralonian fluency - 2%
 * Others - 1%

The three languages of Kizenian, Kuzakigo, and Endralonian, are officially designated as the "National Languages" of the Confederation, a status all three have held jointly for centuries. The legislature of Kuzaki Province operates primarily in Kuzakigo, while the other legislatures operate mainly in Kizenian. All three "recognized national languages" are usable for government purposes, and most provinces engage in bilingual or trilingual education, although most commerce is conducted in Kizenian, except for within Kuzaki Province.

Religious affiliation


 * Endralon Orthodox Church-56.4%
 * Protestant-13.2%
 * Catholic-4.5%
 * Kuzaki Shinto-4.2%
 * Buddhism-3.1%
 * Cult of Anais-0.2%
 * Other-2.0%
 * Atheist, Agnostic, or otherwise Decline to State -16.4%

The Endralon Orthodox Church is the de-facto state religion, although the nation is governed in a secular manner. The Cult of Anais was the official State Religion during the reign of Jade Anais (Anais II), and based on the idolism of the self-proclaimed "Zeita" (Goddess). The Cult was officially abolished in 2858, but a limited number of practitioners have resumed openly practicing the faith in recent years.

Sport in Kizenia & Kuzaki
The United Confederation has several professional sporting leagues, including Association Football (the official national pastime), Rugby, Basketball, Ice Hockey, and Baseball.

Association Football
Football in Kizenia and Kuzaki has long been the official national sport. Since the mid 2300s, it has been played at a professional level, albeit with several interruptions. Since the last reforms in 2777, Kizenian and Kuzaki football has used a staggered Division Format with Promotion and Relegation rules. The top division, now called the Confederation League, consists of eight teams. Two second-level leagues exist, the Western League (Kuzaki and Tilarnia Provinces), and the Eastern League (Sodali, Kutohaderia and Tiania Provinces). The champions of each Second level League play a playoff match in late November, in Trei Rauri, for the right to challenge the last-place First Division team for their place in the First Division - the latter game always occurs at the home stadium of the challenged team. Second Division teams in these matches must win to advance during regulation time - a tied match results in the status quo ante being maintained, as does a tied game in the playoff match (which results in no challenge being made). For this reason, only 40 challenge matches have occured since 2777, and only 7 have succeeded. Due to this system, only eleven teams have ever played in the First Division.

At the end of each regular season, the top four teams in the league statistically play for the Championship; unlike the regular season and relegation matches, matches for the championship series cannot end in a tie - time is extended if the score is tied into sudden death. The Championship game of 2914 between Tottori and Solgobat ended in a 3-2 score after 212 minutes of overtime - the longest football game ever played in the United Confederation.

(As of 2953)

Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey arrived in Kizenia from Trigunia sometime in the 2200s, and began to be played in the northern portion of the nation at the university level shortly afterwards. It was not until 2750 that a professional hockey league formed, although semi-pro teams had played the sport for quite some time longer. By the mid 2800s, it had become the second most popular sport in the nation. Unlike Association Football, the Ice Hockey league has no relegation system, and has maintained an eight-team league since its formation in 2750, although it has undergone an expansion once, to replace a failed franchise - it played the 2841 and 2842 seasons as a seven-team league as a result. The top two teams at the end of the season play a six game series for the Championship (with the top team awarded a "win" in game "0" to compensate for their regular season success).

(As of 2953)

Other Sports
A six team Rugby league was founded in 2816. The teams generally play on the same field as the football team in the same city, except the Tottori team (which actually plays its games in neighboring Tahtania, due to a dispute with the Tottori team's ownership).

Solbogat Phoenix Cetatea Alba Drunks Mandrie Snipers RC Tottori Fluviului Fifteen Alruba Falcons

A six team Basketball league was founded in 2872. With the exception of Trei Rauri, the teams play in the same arena as their hockey teams (Trei Rauri plays at the stadium of the University of Kutohaderia at Trei Rauri).

Cetatea Alba Victory Solgobat Slam Fluviului Geese Mandrie Giants Tottori Ninja Trei Rauri Rapids

An eight-team Baseball league was founded in 2604. Traditionally most of the powers in the league were based in Kuzaki Province - most attempts to expand outside the province have met with limited success.

Tottori Tigers Alruba Athletes Solgobat Sliders Umito Tide Mandrie Mashers Tahtania Rhinos Fluviului Bears Cetatea Alba Blues