| Capital: | Uthma, Persepolis |
| Motto: | |
| Founded: | 2253 |
| Type: | Federal Parliamentary Republic |
| Leader: | Farid Kartal |
| Languages: | Elyran Standard |
The Republic of Elyra, or more officially the Serene Republic of Elyra, is on the surface among the richer and more prosperous nations in known space, with its cultural exports weaving their way into life in worlds far beyond its borders. This is one of the few locations in the Orion Spur that phoron can be found, and as such it is the cornerstone of the growing Republic’s economy. Though like the Union of Progressive Peoples and the Coalition of Independent Systems in its status as a society independent of Solarian control, Elyra shies away from their more cosmopolitan makeup. While far from being entirely homogeneous, Elyran culture is hostile to outside influence and strongly compels foreigners to adopt Elyran norms, even down to naming their children. Despite the opulence on display, life for many within the Republic is far less glamorous and far less free than commonly claimed, a fact that only grows more true year by year as the nation continues down a path few dare tread.
History
The colonization of the worlds that would soon become part of the Republic was a fairly unremarkable affair. Settled in 2216 by a joint effort between several Middle Eastern, North African, and Anatolian interest groups in an effort to keep from falling behind the curve in the race to colonize the Spur, the colony on al-Rashid III (now Damascus II) was one of the few worlds settled prior to the United Nations Interstellar Protectorate solidifying its influence over interstellar colonization. Though self-sufficient, this settlement and others were not very profitable ventures in terms of precious resources that could be sent back to Earth. This would change with the discovery of the New Ankara system, with the fourth planet, named Persepolis, of particular interest to the nascent colonies. With its vast mineral wealth, the colony’s economic troubles were over, and the population of Persepolis exploded over the course of the next few years.
During this time, another challenge was brewing. The UNIP had, in those times, begun establishing its reach and was working with other colonies to bring them into the fold. A general in the Persepolis garrison by the name of Abd al-Hamid, fearing that UNIP control of these colonies would undermine his position, made a desperate gamble. Alongside others he trusted, the general would choose to inflame fears about UNIP control, as well as encourage the development of a culture that the people could call their own, one that they could believe would be under attack by Sol. On the 9th of July, 2253, the seeds that al-Hamid had planted would finally blossom during the Damascene Standoff in which UNIP officials, after receiving continuous threats from the population of Damascus II, were forced off the planet. The media machine the general had crafted would dub this the “Elyran Revolution” and in the following days, the Serene Republic of Elyra was declared, with Abd al-Hamid becoming its first prime minister.
In the following decades, Elyra would pursue a policy of economic self-sufficiency, effectively closing its markets off to the wider Spur. Cities would grow, more colonies would be established, and the Elyran cultural renaissance would begin in full force, basing itself on what was formed during the Revolution years and spawning some of the most influential works in Elyran history. Alongside this development came a growing worry that everything that made Elyra unique would be taken away if foreign influences were allowed to develop within the nation’s borders. The time period known as “the Golden Age of Elyra” would be marked by unprecedented growth and advancement, but also the development of the non-citizen class, populated by those born outside of Elyra’s borders. In time, the Elyran century would come to a close, with the economy facing a long period of stagnation. To alleviate this, the government would agree to open up specific areas of Elyra to foreign corporations. Though this kickstarted the economy, many within the population were far less pleased with this outside intrusion.
In the latter half of the 25th century, Elyra would begin a push to colonise additional worlds in its proximity. Some would proceed incredibly smoothly, such as the colonisation of Aemaq, but the streak of luck was broken during the attempted settlement of Medina in 2499. Their neighbours in the Coalition of Independent Systems had set their eyes on the planet as well. Tensions would rise as both sides staked their claims on the planet until open conflict broke out in 2501. Due to the hostile terrain of the planet, battles fought in the Medina Conflict were fought between a mixture of small, highly mobile squads utilising the latest in hover vehicle technology to traverse the shifting dunes, and at the highest level, vast floating fortresses duking it out wherever they met. The earliest uses of plasma weaponry came about during this time as well, allowing the comparatively weak Elyran military to gain the upper hand. Eventually the Coalition would be forced to cede the planet in 2508, leaving it to the bruised, yet victorious Republic. This event would shape the Republic’s perception of the armed forces, and ironically led to a scaling down, as it was believed the small scale tactics displayed in the war yielded the best results for a nation of this size.
The year 2504 would bring insights into the potential of phoron, a resource that some worlds in Elyra had access to, in amounts surpassing even Himeo’s reserves. This discovery would allow the Republic to bounce back from the devastating effect the Medina Conflict had on the economy, but would present further hardships for the non-citizens within the nation’s borders, helped little by a developing sentiment within Elyra that calls for further measures to keep them in line, following a moral panic over the prospect of non-Elyran culture subverting their own. Many believe the current Prime Minister Farid Kartal and by extension, the parliament itself, is ineffective at preserving the spirit of the Elyran Revolution and of their way of life, and have begun to seek out other methods of protecting Elyra, by any means necessary.
Government
The Serene Republic of Elyra is a federal parliamentary republic with a Prime Minister, elected when their party is in the majority, fulfilling the role of head of government. General al-Hamid fulfills the posthumous role of a symbolic Head of State for his role in the Elyran Revolution. Laws are introduced and voted on in the Serene Republican Assembly, which any citizen can be elected into provided they are affiliated with a political party approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Though this is regarded with suspicion by some, this policy is defended with the claim of ensuring only the most qualified individuals are making decisions for the Republic, as well as avoiding impulsive political trends. Representation in the Assembly is proportional to a planet’s population, and any citizen over 18 can vote. Strangely, despite not having the ability to vote or represent themselves, non-citizens are included in the population count when it comes to determining a world’s seats in the Assembly.
Since its earliest days, the Elyran Defense Forces have played a large role in the nation’s politics. The interests of the military and affiliated contractors work night and day to sway members of the Assembly to their side when it comes to matters of voting. Beyond that, the EDF also holds the authority to force the resignation of the Prime Minister and the dissolution of the Assembly should one of the two violate the principles of the Elyran Revolutionary ideology, and then is expected to set new elections for the Assembly within two years. This ability has yet to be used, though observers have noted that the military presence near the capital city of Uthma rises and falls in lockstep with tensions in Elyra, as well as whenever the Assembly proposes a law that the military looks unfavorably on. The amount of EDF personnel stationed near Uthma is currently higher than it has ever been.
Economy
The Serene Republic of Elyra is a modern service economy with strong resource extraction sectors, namely the phoron sector, which is one of the largest employers in the Republic and monopolized entirely by the state. New Ankara in specific is home to several major financial corporations, mostly domestic banking services or wealth management firms. With the high education standards pushed by several governing coalitions in recent decades, engineering and mathematical fields have seen higher-than-average growth, and the Republic producing highly trained engineers and doctors who are desirable across human space for their skill and proficiency is the result. Curiously, there are no major private military contractor companies based out of the Republic of Elyra due to the state’s centralized control over the most assets— those most worth protecting— in the country. This economic growth, seen as a testament to their hardy spirit, is not seen as a pure positive by all in the Republic: Elyran society has seen increasing levels of economic stratification, even among those in the country with citizenship, and growing income disparity. Some parties are calling for social policies to combat what they see as an unwelcome change.
Foreign corporations are a rare sight within Elyra, due to their activities being limited by treaty to a few defined locations. Imported goods are also subject to high tariffs in order to ensure Elyran self-sufficiency in production, among other reasons. Filling in the void left by these two aspects of the Elyran economy is a set of entirely local corporations. Generally, the Elyran state rarely interferes in the operation of these companies except when declared necessary to prevent a recession, believing that the ability to operate with few restrictions will benefit the economy in the long run. These corporations include, but are not limited to:
- Charon Shipping Services, a shipping company that has also effectively cornered the market on phoron extraction. It is by far the largest company in terms of employees and revenue, and makes up a considerable portion of the nation’s GDP. A considerable portion of its employees are non-citizens working directly with the extraction of phoron, a notoriously dangerous job that claims a few dozen lives each year, a statistic that often results in minimal reforms to workplace safety.
- Suezbank, a bank used by not only ordinary citizens across the nation but also corporations, including foreign companies operating within Elyra. Notorious in recent years for the use of high-risk actions and less than ethical practices, especially directed towards non-citizens, Suezbank is one of the few companies to consistently receive support from the Elyran government.
- Jewel Aerospace, an aviation and spacecraft company that produces everything from small planes to interstellar freighters. This company holds close ties with the Elyran Defence Force, as most of its warships are produced by Jewel Aerospace.
- Yazmani Holdings, the oldest corporation in Elyra and mostly responsible for managing its many subdivisions, including Yazmani Agricultural Services, which holds a monopoly on food production in the Republic, Yazmani Wellness, the largest biomedical corporation in Elyra, Yazmarket, the largest retail company in the nation, and Yazmani Communications, which has ownership of Elyran News Network, the most consumed news source in Elyra. It once had many competitors in all branches, but proved itself the victor due to the Yazmani family’s ruthless tactics.
Thanks to the limitless potential and abundance of phoron within Elyra’s borders, the Republic’s technology has developed rapidly and permeated every aspect of life in the nation. Through clever usage of magnetized phoron-based materials, hover technology has been perfected and proliferated throughout most means of transportation. More straightforward uses of the resource have also been developed, namely in the field of phoron-fusion reactors as well as weapon systems able to utilize superheated plasma, though the latter has seen some controversy due to the gruesome way it combusts foes from the inside out. For all its successes though, Elyra lags behind in some notable fields. Robotics are a notorious sore spot, being consistently decades behind the rest of humanity. Other fields that have little connection with phoron research also are consistently left behind, such as genetics. In the past, the aerospace field would also fall under this category, but calls in recent times to ensure national sovereignty have led to a revitalization of the field, and the industry is growing faster than any other.
Society & Culture
Elyran culture generally regards the preservation of the natural order of things as one of its most important values, and is greatly resistant to major changes. This attitude extends to everything from family life, where the elder of the family is held up as a wise and respectable figure, to the laws that form the foundation of the Republic. People are often expected to sideline their own personal needs for the greater good of the society or their families, with a common expression justifying this behavior being “If the bricks crack, the wall becomes weak.” Focusing on preserving the structures of society has several effects, including the presumption of guilt in courts across Elyra. The emphasis on a more collectively-focused culture extends to loyalty as well. As long as an employer treats their employees well, it’s viewed as selfish to seek out a different job, and most Elyrans will work for one company their entire life. Pursuing higher education is also encouraged as a benefit to society, and most citizens hold a degree of some kind.
Modesty is another significant value in Elyran culture and can be seen most clearly in Elyran fashion. The importance of this value has even led to “debauchery laws” being enacted, in order to prevent the Elyran people from adopting the excesses of foreign cultures. These laws allow citizens to be sued for any public displays that are deemed immoral, such as dying ones’ hair, having tattoos or piercings, or wearing indecent clothing, though the full extent of what falls under these laws varies from place to place. Many of these laws often have a very religious motive to them(albeit not without heavy opposition from others of the same faith) and often utilize very overt references to such, in spite of the secular bent of Elyra’s constitution.
Perhaps the most important value of all, however, is “The Elyran Spirit.” It’s a form of exceptionalism that declares that the Elyran way of life and its culture are inherently superior to all other cultures in the Spur, even those that it descended from, and that what makes Elyra special must be defended from both within and without. Special value is placed on goods produced within the nation, with many Elyrans refusing to buy anything that doesn’t bear a “Made in Elyra” sticker on it. Far from encouraging Elyran culture to keep to itself, the Elyran Spirit encourages those within the nation to export its culture across the Spur. As a result, Elyran media can be found on many worlds outside of its borders, often localized to ensure maximum exposure.
Art & Mass Media
Elyran arts are some of the most unique and distinctive in the Orion Spur. The common aesthetic of them is almost universally recognisable as Elyran and remains something that not only Elyran artists but also the state have worked carefully to cultivate ever since the Colonial Era, and has been treated as a fundamental part of the nation’s history. Elyran art is typically not abstract, but it’s in some way relative to a real-life reference, be it a feeling, person, or scene. This extends to nearly every form of art in Elyra, from poetry, to film, to visual art, to even music.
Visual art is usually of natural scenery or a fusion of nature with constructs of society, such as buildings, vehicles, or more mystical design elements. Rarely are people or faces especially drawn in this style of art. Floral designs interspersed with bits of technological machinery or glowing hues found in architecture. Generally, Elyran art is very vivid and uses vibrant, even opulent colors to paint its images, leading its artists to often take fanciful, imaginative directions in their art. This also lends itself to the official, state-endorsed artstyle of Elyra: Elyran futuro-impressionism. Verbal, performed, or written art that is not made in the official language of the Republic, Elyran Standard, is not supported, funded, or promoted by the Elyran state. In addition, museums and galleries displaying art that holds none of the characteristics of Elyran futuro-impressionism are met with outrage from the public and occasionally some lawmakers for hosting art that’s viewed as deviant and without any form of contribution to Elyran culture.
Elyran mass media is something that is arguably integral to not just the expression of Elyran popular culture, but also of its national culture as well. Mass media has many forms, such as holovision channels broadcasting everything from news to critically-acclaimed serial dramas, from religious services to live music. Cinema is also a point of pride for the government and people, with not only some of the most compelling narratives in recent years having come out of the Serene Republic, but some of the most advanced visual effects as well, especially from the Persepolian entertainment industry. More pertinent to Elyran culture as a whole are films from Damascus II’s first film studios produced during the Colonial Era and Elyran Golden Age. While the planet no longer produces films on any large scale compared to its golden age, Elyran cinema started there, much like almost all other forms of the Elyran arts.
Elyran social media websites are often built as localized counterparts of foreign sites, albeit with much stricter moderation, and much of what applies to the average citizen through debauchery laws in real life would also apply to their online presence as well. Furthermore, while political discussion is common on social media, much of it falls into the confines of the Elyran political system. News articles, broadcasts, and other disseminations of information from media to the public are often under the watchful eye of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to have a pro-Elyra spin on things and to vilify those inconvenient to the Republic’s goals and interests, both inside and outside of the country. Far from being able to have final say on what is and isn’t broadcasted, Internal Affairs opts for a providing a financial incentive for presenting content within their standards. As a result of how this media landscape is cultivated, the average Elyran often struggles with understanding politics outside of the limits their own political parties operate in.
Language
Elyran Standard, so-called because it was the language created to be the standardized method of communication across the Elyran Republic after its revolution, is the official language of the Republic of Elyra. It was created by the Ministry of Education shortly after the Elyran Revolution at the behest of Prime Minister Abd Al-Hamid for the purposes of giving his new republic a single language that could be used for government, law, military organization, and trade. Many in the Republic praised this initiative as they saw it as either the practical thing to do or saw it as just another step in the Elyran Revolution, creating a new language that was untainted by external influence. A large mass-education and literacy program began in 2314 to educate the Elyran people on this new language, to a point where the government banned the teaching of old Earth languages, such as in public schools, though still allowed them to be taught and used in higher education and religious institutions. The program was completed in 2328, with almost all of the Elyran population being fluent in the new language created by taking influences and grammar from Arabic, Turkish, and Farsi.
Non-Citizen Persons
Obtaining Elyran citizenship is an infamously difficult process for those who do not have it from birth. A lengthy period of 10 years of residency and labor in Elyra is first required and one’s criminal record must be immaculate without even the slightest infraction. An applicant must also be fluent in Elyran Standard, change their legal name to one much more Elyran, and must take a lengthy exam on Elyran culture and history that even most Elyran citizens would most likely fail. Every applicant is subject to review by the Ministry of the Interior for the applicability of their skills and achievements as well, with the Ministry often rejecting applicants who do not have graduate or postgraduate degrees, or similarly highly regarded credentials. Additionally, an applicant must be sponsored by at least four current Elyran citizens who can vouch for their credibility and integrity as a potential citizen. Finally though, and for some most worryingly, the Elyran Ministry of the Interior can reject any applicant for any reason they see fit and are not legally required to give an explanation. Marriage to an Elyran citizen does not qualify the foreigner as a citizen, and many suspect this is an indirect measure by the state to encourage Elyrans to marry other Elyrans rather than foreigners. Only humans can apply to be citizens in Elyra, as applications from other species are not accepted by the country’s increasingly isolationist government.
Life as a Non-Citizen Person, or NCP, is far from a comfortable one. Typically non-citizen persons are put in either the most menial or most dangerous of tasks by their Elyran employers, with a large portion of them working in the infamously hazardous phoron extraction industry or low-skill service positions. Because NCPs are not citizens, their employers are not subject to minimum wage laws when paying their incomes, and so they are paid drastically less than their citizen counterparts. Additionally, their lack of citizenship shuts them out of the Elyran public health and education systems, and grossly restricts the amount of influences they have on Elyran society, having little to no legal representation in most courts of law either. They cannot vote and are not provided with any of the other benefits that the average Elyran citizens enjoys. Because of this, NCPs often live together in tightly knit communities or neighborhoods in Elyran localities, with almost every major Elyran city having an “NCP Town,” where non-citizen persons coalesce and live often in lower standards when compared to their citizenship-holding counterparts. These communities are also not free of the Elyran media machine, who’s pervasive presence and constant pushing of Elyran ideals often has a noticeable effect on NCP children in particular. Despite these realities though, frontier-dwelling outsiders flock to Elyra for the promise of an income that can sustain them and their families, a phenomenon so frequent that NCPs have grown to be a minority of considerable size.
Planets
Persepolis
The capital planet Persepolis, in the New Ankara star system, is the most populated planet within the Republic. The planet is a temperate one with a breathable atmosphere and stubborn native ecosystems already present. Commercial and service sector jobs remain the highest employer, second only to refineries processing phoron and other minerals transported to the planet's orbit. This is among the primary locations in Elyra where phoron can be found in abundance. Persepolis is known for its incredible luster, the soil giving the vast treelines a unique shade of amethyst that may be confused for a vast sea from space. Contrasting this are the coldest reaches of the planet filled with crystalized phoron which, despite efforts, poisons the soil and prevents any plant life from growing. However, these phoron crystals jutting out of the ground provide Persepolis with its most lucrative export. The planet holds host to the New Ankaran Jewel, an orbital shipyard and drydock connected by space elevator. From here the majority of the Republic’s finest space-faring vessels are made, civilian or otherwise. It is located in the planet’s capital city Uthma in the midst of a large clearing and extends to low orbit of the planet.
Orbiting Persepolis is its sole natural satellite, a moon of an oddly blue coloration known as New Suez. Though because of its status as not just Persepolis’ biggest port, but Elyra’s, and a hub for the retail and luxury goods industries of Elyra, it often can have up to three times its population on its surface due to the number of visitors or tourists. New Suez has a crucial role in the economy, being the center of the New Suez Free Trade Zone, the only area of Elyra where foreign megacorporations can operate while unbound by most of the otherwise incredibly strict regulations placed on them by the government. The largest stock exchange in Elyra is also located here and many financial services corporations are based on this moon. New Suez is also notable for having the largest number of non-citizen residents as part of its population relative to the number of citizens living there and is one of the only places in the Republic where citizens are a minority. The overwhelming majority of offworlder citizens also originate on this moon.
Damascus II
The former capital of Elyra and the only inhabitable world in the al-Rashid system, Damascus II is the second most populated planet in Elyra. Its climate is Mediterranean on the coastlines of its single large continental landmass and becomes more temperate the further inland one travels. Damascus II is most notable for its historical and cultural significance in Elyran society as it was the first planet settled in what is the present-day Republic of Elyra. It has a very long and storied history relative to the rest of the country, houses the finest universities in all of Elyra, and is often referred to as “The Heart of Elyra” for its role in forming the Elyran identity and being the planet on which the Elyran Revolution began. The planet’s economy revolves primarily around agriculture, and provides an overwhelming majority of the Republic’s food.
Medina
Medina resides in the Jedeed Isfahan system and is one of the most unique of Elyran worlds. The planet has a thin yet breathable atmosphere which makes prolonged physical effort difficult without respiratory gear. However, the planet is incredibly rich with mineral wealth due to its active geological history, a wealth that has been purchased with blood. Settlements on the planet are built to compensate for the high frequency of earthquakes, the most prevalent of which are massive floating cities kept aloft by Elyran hover technology. The planet’s economy is focused on phoron extraction and the development of phoronic technologies. A bounty for any phoron deposits found on the planet has led to countless people from across the Spur braving the treacherous world. A hundred little conflicts erupt regularly as phoron hunters search among the dunes and ruined war machines for that miracle substance.
Aemaq
Aemaq is a hot, chemical waterworld in outer Republic space and holds the smallest population in Elyra, aside from New Suez. The settlements on the world are made up of flotillas dotting the waters of the planet. The water itself is non-potable but high in exotic volatile organic compounds, leading to the largest chemical industry in Elyra being on this planet. The water and phoron refining industries are a large part of the economy here as well. Aemaq’s unique position as a world with unparalleled chemical expertise make it home to some of the largest phoron refineries in Elyra and final stop for most of the raw phoron mined in Elyra’s outer rim.