Variadia

The Empire of Variadia (variadian: Empèr de Variadia) is a constitutional federal monarchy located in central Artemia. It borders to the west with Velselexo, and to the north with Samotkhe; the Amomosean Sea separates it from Lusjki and Mursland, while the Eurybian Sea separates it from Kesh.

Anciently home of the Arvean civilisation, based along the Thala river, the Variadian region was first settled by the TBD(Greeks) who founded the ancient cities of Garea and Platea, and then conquered and massively Helticised by the Heltic Empire. Shattered into multiple city states after the collapse of the Heltic Empire and the barbaric invasions, during the Middle Ages the country was progressively unified by the Grand Duchy of Gaenora ruled by the Prevan dynasty, which prides itself in being one of the longest continuous reigning families in the world. The Renaissance Era sees the proclamation of the Empire of Variadia in 1496 and the foundation of Remoria, current capital and marvelous example of a Renaissance planned city built under the reign of Remis II the Great and his son Sevas IV the Magnificent. The golden age of Variadia however is widely acknowledged to have been under empress Candia during the XVII century; the first and only female ruler that ever ruled Variadia conceded in fact the Charta Augustalis which for the first time separated the legislative, judiciary and executive powers and put an end to absolutism in the country. Candia is also known for the great impulse she gave to the Variadian industry and commerce thanks to mercantilism, which granted the country enough revenues to invest in a massive artistic and cultural production as well as laying the bases for the industrialisation of the country in the XIX-XX centuries.

Nowadays known for her picturesque maritime and mountain landscapes, trains, classical music and luxury products (mostly wine, furniture and silk), Variadia is a well developed country and a popular destination for students thanks to the high reputation of the Treval University in Gaenora and the Damanosta College in Arion.

Etymology
According to linguists, the name Variadia may have multiple origins; it could either come from Latin “viridis” meaning “green”, hence “the green land”, or from proto-Variadian “valada” meaning “valley” as referred to the valley of the Thala river. The name however appears as it is already under the Heltic Empire which divided the land between the provinces of Variadia Gareathis and Variadia Placentina. The Middle Ages saw the name being progressively abandoned as the multiple states in which the country was divided chose to occasionally unite under the name of “League of the Two Seas” to fight against Velselexo during the Highlands War and against the Samot during the Izvor Valley War. The name was still used however to indicate the language and the populations that spoke it as opposed to any other population that didn’t. Finally during the Renaissance, when the empire was eventually unified, the rediscovery of the classical literature and the need to find a name for the new country brought the ancient term Variadia back in use.

Middle Ages
In the 14th century, Variadia was devastated by a terrible plague epidemic that killed almost a third of the country's population. The demographic decline lead to a desaturation of the labor market; the consequent increase in wages massively redesigned the economic system of the entire region, with the introduction of new crops from the East (rice, mulberries for silkworms) and the growth of merchant activities. The Varadian lordships prosper, and gold coins even began to circulate minted by the most powerful cities such as Gaënora, Pratensa and Dyanema to cope with the increase in prices and quantity of traded goods. Alongside with the economic prosperity, the military power of the lords also grows, and with it the ambition of the lords; the dawn of the fifteenth century saw the Wars of the Valley break out, which in the space of fifty years sealed the hegemony of the Grand Duchy of Gaënora over the entire Thala plain. To the north, in the meantime, the Grand Duchy of Pratensa manages to repel the raids of the Samot clans, and with the capture of Astrami in 1445, control of the southern shore of the lower Izvor is ensured. Crucial in the military rise of Gaënora and Pratensa is the introduction of gunpowder from Kesh, which resulted in the development of the cannon and the harquebus. Firearms shortly lead to the decline of cavalry and castles, effectively marking the transition from medieval to modern times.

Renaissance
After bringing all of Variadia under his yoke, in 1496 the Duke of Gaënora Remis Prevan was proclaimed as the first emperor of Variadia. The new state thus constituted opened a long era of peace and prosperity for the entire country; the end of the continuous wars between the various lordships led to an exceptional increase in trade, and the consequent general climate of wealth and optimism encouraged the development of the arts and sciences. Around the construction of Remoria, the grandiose capital wanted by Remis the Great and completed under his son Sevas, allows through the rediscovery of ancient techniques to develop new experiments in the field of sculpture, art and architecture. Remoria is built not to glorify God but to celebrate the greatness of man, and by virtue of this it actually embodies the era that will be known by posterity as the Renaissance.

Government
The Empire of Variadia is a federal constitutional monarchy. The emperor holds the executive power, together with eight councillors elected by the Parliament and assigned to eight ministries: Culture and Research, Defense, Economics and Finances, Energy and Transportations, Foreign Affairs, Health, Internal Affairs, and Justice.

Parliament
The Variadian parliament holds the legislative power and is bicameral.

Economy
Variadia's economy is nowadays heavily tertiarised, with 70.1% of the total productivity made of trades, finances, banking activities, hi-tech and tourism. About 25.8% of the total productivity is then covered by industrial activities, mostly pharmaceuticals, textile, mechanical and food processing (especially confectionery) industries; clocks and watches specifically make out Variadia's most prided industry. Finally, 4,1% is dedicated to agriculture, with the main cultivations being olives, vines, wheat and fruits in the plains and along the rivers, and to farming on the mountains. In the past fishing was well developed particularly in the gulfs, but nowadays it is rapidly being replaced by pisciculture.

Agriculture
The agricultural sector in Variadia was very developed in the past, to the point that the Variadian plains were deemed to be the "breadbasket of the empire". During the industrial revolution however the fields were progressively abandoned in favor of the textile and metallurgic factories emerging in the largest cities. The wealth and progress derived from industrialisation caused a redirection of the agricultural activities towards a more "niche" function, where Variadian products are mostly considered luxuries rather than subsistence goods. The most diffused cultivations are nowadays vines, especially in the provinces of Rosel and Palast known for their wine production, olives for oil production mostly in the Dyanema province and on the islands, fruits such as cherries in Nives, agrumes in Colomna, apples in Beresan and Yedres and peaches and apricots in Latona, and finally wheat and other cereals on the lower Thala between Arion and Gaënora, whose bakery products are emblematic of Variadian culture. The lower Thala is also known for the mulberries cultivations, planted in the Middle Ages following the importations of the first silkworms from across the Eurybian Ocean. The provinces of Pratensa and Sancores are known for their corn production; Pratensa is particularly renowned for her roses fields, used mostly for cosmetic and perfumes productions. The island of Torsa is curiously known for her cheese production and dairy industry; from there comes the Fontan cheese. Very peculiar are finally the rice fields of Remoria; their implementation remounts to the Renaissance and was partly due to the favorable climate and abundance of water which allowed the cultivation of rice in that region, and partly to defensive purposes: Sevas IV the Magnificent planned in fact to open the locks and flood Remoria's rice fields if the city ever risked of being besieged.

Industry
Variadia's industries are nowadays mostly concentrated around the country's largest metropolitan areas such as Gaënora and Pratensa. Developed during the XIX century, the Variadian industry was boosted thanks to the massive iron deposits found in the eastern mountainous regions which encouraged the birth of the "black cities" of metallurgy along the Thala river. At the time, the key sector of the country's industry was however the textile one, thanks to the centuries old silk work tradition as well as the arrival of cotton from Northern Kesh. XIX century saw also the birth of the first great confectionery brands, specialized particularly on chocolate which is nowadays Variadia's most known exported good together with watches and clocks. Clockwork industry, born originally in the most mountainous regions, is today concentrated around Gaënora while another historical Variadian industry, that of glassware and porcelain, is located mainly around Pratensa. Pharmaceuticals is nowadays the country's leading industry, with the majority of the largest corporations being concentrated in this sector.

Services
The largest Variadian economic hubs are the metropolitan areas of Gaënora in the south and Pratensa in the north-east. Being the seat of the Variadian stock exchange, Pratensa is considered to be the country's economic and trade capital; however, Gaënora challenges this role thanks to the seat of the Imperial Bank of Variadia which makes her the financial heart of the empire.

Variadia's currency is the dama, whose value is determined through an autonomous monetary policy and a state fixed exchange rate.