Habesha

Habesha (:ሀበሻ; Hābesha), officially the Empire of Habesha (:የሀበሻ ግዛት; Yehābesha Gizati) is a   on the north-western coast of Kesh, spanning an area of 495,928 km2 and hosting a population of 66.3 million people. Habesha is administratively split into seven provinces, organized by ethnic composition among the three major groups, the Gwade, Hilisi and Net'ibi - as well as several minor groups. The nation's largest city, and capital, is Limereti, located on the mouth of the Shaballa. Another major city, Yanet'ibi, is built around Lake Kana and is home to Habesha's major shipbuilding facilities.

The framework of the modern Habeshan state can be traced back to 1392, when the first noble of the Tewodros Dynasty, Atatafi Kelile, united the clans of Gwade under the Gwadarri Kingdom. Through successive but hard-fought military campaigns, he would push Gwadar's boundaries out of the peninsular region, erecting fortifications on the mouth of Shaballa that would morph over the centuries into present day Lemireti. He would attempt to expand towards Hilisi lands in the north - a band of independent, militaristic clans that skirmished amongst themselves - and Net'ibi lands in the south - a loose federation of clans that mainly lived off of cultural activities. What little progress he made was undone by a succession crisis after his death between his two sons - Iskinder Tsegaye and Melkalu Teklike, the aftermath of which would lead to a period in Habeshan history knows as the Brotherly Divide (1424-1488), as the once united Tewodros Dynasty fractured into Tewodros-Tsegaye and Tewodros-Teklile. This period would be brought to an end in 1488 when Iskinder II of Tewodros-Tsegaye defeated Atatafi II of Tewodros-Teklile, who died in the Siege of Limereti, reuniting the Tewodros Dynasty and formally beginning the reign of the Empire of Habesha.

The Empire would alternate between strong rulers that kept vassal nobles in line and weak rulers that gave free reign to the nobles, leaving the realm in a decentralized state. During Iskinder VII's reign which started in 1796, he would initiate efforts to permanently centralize the Empire with the aim of strengthening Imperial authority, he established the Īmipērīyali Āmegagebi (Imperial Diet) in 1800, its primary role being a body whose membership consisted of all vassals directly under the Emperor. The Emperor would have the power to summon them to his residence, the Kefitenyawi Bēte Menigišiti, there they would deliberate on matters affecting the realm. The vassals were powerless and they were there only to address the Emperor and await his decrees, Iskinder VIII considered any failure to heed his summons as a sign of treason, and when a group of Hilisi vassal refused to heed the 4th Imperial Summon in 1814, he declared them traitors and sent out a call-to-arms. Net'ibi vassals refused this call and he declared them traitors as well. The Mad Emperor's War as it would be called only lasted a year, with Iskinder VII's forces being routed in the Battle of Upper Shaballa and his eventual death at the hands of the Tewodrine Guard. His brother, Yohannes III would ascend to the throne, on promises of moderate change and reforms to the Imperial Diet.

Habesha survived the turmoil of the colonial period, though it wasn't left unscathed, repelling invasions and expeditions. Modern day Habesha has gone through several reforms, one major change occurred during the 26 year rule of the Federal Republic of Habesha, provincial guardsmen from the majority Hilisi provinces staged 1962 Merwan Coup, seizing northern cities and eventually storming Lemereti, killing thousands of loyalist supporters and going on to set fire to the High Palace, destroying it for the second time. Federal rule would be characterized by ethnic cleansings and political purges (both internal and external)that would come to an end in 1988 when a coalition of resistance movement overwhelmed the dwindling Federal Army, reinstating Empress Elsabet I who had fled to Kitoko before the 2nd Burning of the High Palace.