Higher Tar-dinuu

The Kingdom of Higher Tar-dinuu is a tropical nation located at the northernmost tip of the peninsula in Tiridinia. Surrounding it are the Locufaric Ocean and the Kidal Sea. It shares a land border only with Independent Provinces of Lower Tar-dinuu and (Exonym for Minyalga) but shares a sea border with (Whatever is on the Vidinian peninsula). It is 1,376,536.16 square kilometers, divided into 33 states, each with a rich local history and culture, though officially none are recognized as divergent enough to be their own ethnicities. Though minor skirmishes have occurred on its border with Lower Tar-dinuu, it is not openly hostile with any power in the current age. Higher Tar-dinuu has one of the longest histories of any country in the fertile north of the continent, with the first major power in the region being established around 1,000 BCE in Yurdtri’s Fingers. While many hunter-gatherers had passed through the region prior in order to reach Vidina, only a few had settled there, and none had done so in the rugged terrain of the mountains. However, in the mountains, the settlers found rich deposits of various metals. This material wealth allowed them to quickly advance beyond the current capabilities of their neighbors, and unite the peninsula on which they lived underneath the Empire of Tar-dinuu. However, their exploitation of the southern provinces resulted in their downfall. By around 550 BCE, Tar-dinuu dissolved into a collection of city-states. However, in 1321 CE, the city-states were forced to reunite in the face of a looming threat. They formed a loose confederacy. Unfortunately, this was not enough. The Chubuta Empire conquered the city-states in the southern parts of the country. While the empire fell due to internal problems, this experience spurred Tar-dinuu to further unify. In 1329 CE, the first edmuralit was elected. The southern states, which had rejoined Tar-dinuu, broke off to become their own country now known as Lower Tar-dinuu. This state of affairs would continue to the present day. As the nation was stabilizing, it soon came into contact with the colonial powers of Alutra. However, this was surprisingly a boon for Higher Tar-dinuu. The welcoming trade route that allowed naval travel between the eastern and western hemispheres was highly desirable by colonists. This allowed Higher Tar-dinuu to rapidly grow again in power, resulting in it avoiding colonization (with the exception of Ordrey occupying a few of the islands in the Isles of Kidal). When the First World War occurred, Higher Tar-dinuu originally desired to remain neutral (despite their extremely strategically significant location). However, pressure from Salia and their promise of removing the Ordrish colonies in their islands led them to join the (Axis). Higher Tar-dinuu created a blockade on Srtui’s Strait to prevent the (Allies) from passing through, and helped Salia in their various military endeavors in the region. As Higher Tar-dinuu did not manage to reclaim the Ordrish colonies in the First World War, it was more enthusiastic to aid the (Axis) in the Second World War and took a much more active role in the war. Not only did it send troops to aid their allies across the world, it also sent naval ships masquerading as pirates to harass boats on (Ally)-owned trade routes. Higher Tar-dinuu ultimately did not participate in the Third World War after Ordey sold their island colonies back to Higher Tar-dinuu. Though it retained elements of its militarization of the Strait, it did not participate in any major wars after the Second World War. Today, Higher Tar-dinuu continues this age of peace and stability. Its economy has been kept prosperous by its advantageous position with Srtui’s Strait, the oil reserves found in the area of the ocean they control, and the beautiful reefs and rainforests that have attracted many tourists. It is highly developed, but it is still grappling with several unwise decisions made by the country's royalty in the past. It has maintained a position of great economic and cultural power in northern Tiridinia, and generally is classified as a major power globally due to its influence on global trade.

Etymology
The name “Tar-dinuu” comes from the Archaic-Dinuu word for land (“Tar”) and the Archaic-Dinuu word for themselves, “Dinuu”. “Dinuu” itself comes from a fusion of the Archaic-Dinuu words “Di” and “Nuu”. “Di” means World, and “Nuu” means people. In all, the name “Tar-Dinuu” means “Land of the people of the world”.

Prehistory
The oldest remains of humanity on the peninsula can be dated back to 20,000 years ago, in the form of hunter-gatherers passing through on their way to Vidina. These early cultures restricted themselves to the coast for the most part, as the jungles were difficult to travel through. Though these peoples have left their mark on the local ecosystems. The first actual settlements are dated to approximately 6,000 years ago. These belonged to what is now known as the Burtulaen culture. These people lived at the base of the peninsula, in small agricultural communities. It has been suggested that these people were the ones to originally domesticate qih and spread beans as a food crop. Archeological evidence shows that they were proficient in pottery but never discovered metal-working. All known tools found from these people were made of flint. This lack of metal ultimately led to their assimilation at the hands of the Dinuu approximately 2,900 years ago. The second civilization to appear in the region now under the control of Higher Tar-dinuu is the Kidal civilization. The Kidal were proficient in shipbuilding and were prolific explorers. Evidence of their existence, in the form of monk-seal bone talismans and cultural influences, can be found as far away from the islands which they lived on as the southernmost regions of Vidina. The Kidal people first appeared around 4,000 years ago, and continue to have their culture to this day (though strongly influenced by Dinuu culture). The most recent civilization to emerge was the Dinuu. They were another agricultural civilization, located on the slopes of Yurdtri’s Fingers and the surrounding regions. The Dinuu mastered the technique of terrace farming, allowing them to live in areas where an agricultural civilization would ordinarily have trouble. Their most important attribute was the fact they were the first civilization to enter the Bronze Age. While it isn’t currently known when exactly the Dinuu invented metal-working, it can be presumed to be at least 3,000 years ago. Older smithies and mining operations may exist, but more archeological expeditions into Yurdtri’s Fingers would be required to find them. Either way, after inventing metal-working, the Dinuu entered the Bronze Age. They began what would be later known as the Empire of Tar-dinuu, though at the time it was simply known as Tar-dinuu.

The Empire of Tar-dinuu
The start of the empire of Tar-dinuu is shrouded in mystery. Written language was only invented hundreds of years after its founding, and the actual circumstances of its beginnings had already been distorted by generations of storytellers by the time the first letters were inscribed on the first clay tablets. From the legends that were written, the empire was started by an individual who has been given the moniker Flir-Vur (“Uniter of the Heavens”). The legends state that Flir-Vur was a chieftain who was taught the art of forging metal by the gods. The individual used this knowledge to unite the clans in the mountains and began a crusade to conquer the rest of the world. When the first Flir (the first part of Flir-Vur’s name became a title taken by almost every subsequent emperor) eventually died in combat, the army’s Jul-nuranit (Seer of Death, a religious advisor who supposedly spoke with the spirits of the dead and could help those who had reincarnated remember their past lives) decreed that the next child born would be the reincarnation of the Flir. While the child matured, the second-in-command of the army would act as regent. Due to the difficulty of actually determining which child was the first child to be born after the death of the Flir (especially at the height of Tar-dinuu, when thousands of people lived inside its borders), the first child born was usually decided to be the first child born after the death of the Flir that the Jul-nuranit was told about. Additionally, the Jul-nuranit often accepted bribes. Though the Flir was almost never truly the first child born after the death of the previous Flir, this practice forced the development of some of the earliest censuses and greatly advanced the civilization’s mathematical knowledge.

The empire also advanced by assimilating other cultures. For example, after completely conquering the Burtulaen culture, evidence suggests that Tar-dinuu adopted many of their domesticated species and agricultural techniques. It has even been suggested that the qih (which later became an important meat animal and beast of burden to the empire) were first domesticated by the Burtulaen. Another culture that enriched the empire was the Kidal islands. Their shipbuilding techniques were quickly adopted by the Tar-dinuu navy to aid in trade and maritime combat. Additionally, their religion was combined with the Dinuu’s religion to form the first precursor to Edlerism (approximately 2,500 years ago). Unlike the Burtulaen (who were mostly enslaved by Tar-dinuu), the Kidal remained mostly intact. Keeping the islands subjugated would be expensive, and the Kidal were fairly cooperative with the conquerors. The extent of the nation’s control of the region was the taxation of local resources and a couple of regional governors. The Kidal model was copied in many subjugated areas, as it would be too expensive to maintain strict control of the entire empire. However, a lot of exploitation still occurred, including enslaving portions of settlements to work on projects and heavy taxation of conquered lands. This (along with extensive trade routes that reached eastern !Polynesia and southern Vidina) resulted in the empire growing massively in wealth. This wealth would continue to build throughout much of the empire of Tar-dinuu’s history. As a result of these riches, the empire of Tar-dinuu was able to achieve many amazing feats. They built up an extensive and organized road system, the first wheels in the north of the continent, the first concrete in the north of the continent, a decent understanding of astronomy, written language, and they constructed massive temple complexes in the mountains. An important note is that very few of these projects ever benefited the subjugated provinces. The cities on the coast and in the mountains continued to grow in wealth, while the areas further south or inland were deprived of people and resources.

This was not originally a problem for Tar-dinuu, as the military presence in the subjugated areas (while fairly sparse) was enough to ensure that most of the small rebellions were put down quickly. Additionally, the local leadership and culture were allowed to exist mostly undisturbed in many areas. However, this stopped at the end of the empire, when the Flir was overthrown. This person declared themself the Edrit and tried to establish a dynasty in Tar-dinuu. The Edrit began to try and take stricter control over the entire empire of Tar-dinuu, which resulted in many revolts. However, the army’s attempts at increasing the Tar-dinuu presence throughout the empire resulted in it being spread too thin. Soon, most of the conquered areas had escaped the empire, and by 550 BCE, the core of the empire fell. The Edrit was deposed, and the Tar-dinuu officially dissolved.

Citystates and the Confederation of Tar-dinuu
The era of city-states began with the dissolution of the empire of Tar-dinuu in 550 BCE (though that is the date when the Edrit was deposed, most cities had fallen by 547 BCE), and lasted until 1321 CE (when the Confederacy of Tar-dinuu formed). This time period was characterized by the formation of many small feudal kingdoms, and the degradation of the original Tar-dinuu culture. Each country evolved its own culture, based on a mixture of the culture of subjugated people, traders from other lands, and the Dinuu culture. In fact, the modern Dinuu language evolved during this time. Despite all springing from the same source, these nations often battled each other for supremacy. On many occasions, smaller city-states were annihilated or assimilated by larger ones. Wounds from these old conflicts still are apparent in rivalries between different states. Another limiter on the development of Dinuu and the population of the peninsula was the Norvitin Plague (named for the kingdom it first appeared in). It is suspected to have come from Vidinian traders and quickly laid waste to the civilization. This, along with the wars, resulted in a little less than 100 countries being whittled down to just 54. This devastation was contrasted by sporadic periods of advancement. Some kingdoms began investing in science and philosophy, resulting in the invention of compasses, aqueducts, clockwork, and early forms of democracy, among other things. In addition, Edlerism fully evolved into the modern form we know today.

The period of city-states and kingdoms ended in 1321, when the short-lived era of the Confederacy of Tar-dinuu began. A new empire arose to the south of the region and began attempting to conquer the peninsula, which was economically valuable due to its proximity to Vidina. As this empire advanced, the kingdom of Muralilin called for the organization of a loose confederation of the nations on the peninsula and on the islands of Kidal. In this new alliance, each decision would be made by a council composed of ambassadors from each country. They would ultimately work together to protect the civilization of subjugation by hostile forces and to further the spread of Edlerism and Dinuu philosophy across the world. There was a strong emphasis on equality. The council was one of equals, and no one country had more influence. To ensure this was the case, Srhui island was chosen as the headquarters of this council (it had not previously been under the control of any one nation, as it was not economically or strategically valuable and was uninhabited). Ultimately, the Confederacy of Tar-dinuu failed in its goals. The member-countries in the south of the peninsula were swallowed up by the ever-expanding empire. The rest of the region would have soon followed suit, but the empire fell from internal difficulties soon after conquering the fringes of Tar-dinuu. The ineffectiveness of the confederation made the nations realize that greater unity was required if the civilization was going to continue to flourish. The council decided to nominate one among them to take the mantle of King, and set up a strong central government. Each nation would get to preserve some form of independence, as they formed the basis of new states that make up Tar-dinuu. The nations in the southern reaches of Tar-dinuu did not agree that they needed a king, or a central government, so they seceded from Tar-dinuu and became their own country, based on the Confederation of Tar-dinuu.

In 1329, Trinuun the Great was elected Edmuralit of the Higher Tar-dinuu, and the Kingdom of Higher Tar-dinuu was born.

Geography
Higher Tar-dinuu is located on the !Region Name Peninsula of Tiridinia, with the Locufaric Ocean on its western coast and the shallow Kidal Sea on its eastern coast. The connection between these two oceans is what creates most of the economic prosperity that Higher Tar-dinuu has, because it allows the country to function as an important area for international trade. The mainland of Higher Tar-dinuu is made up of three major geographic regions. The northernmost edge of the nation is dominated by an imposing range of mountains known as Yurdtri’s Fingers, named after the Kidalian god of the planet, who is said to have created the mountains while trying to push his way out of the ground. The highest point in this range is Mount !Mountain, which is 5,876 meters in height. While in the Bronze Age these mountains were the center of Dinuu culture, they are very sparsely populated in modern times. Almost the entirety of the area is protected under the Conservation Proclamation, though a growing industry of tourism in the various ancient archeological sites has meant that some areas of Yurdtri’s Fingers have experienced a small amount of human-caused environmental degradation. This may grow in the future, as some remaining silver deposits have suggested that mining in the region may be a lucrative industry. South of Yurdtri’s Fingers is a large hilly region known as the Kutaumin, which, while still being fairly humid, is drier than the surrounding environments. This is likely due to a minor rain shadow effect. Though this region has a higher population than the mountains, it still has a very minor human presence. Most of the population is concentrated on the coasts, which are low-lying areas of land carpeted in thick rainforest. The major population centers are built around the Arin, a large river on the eastern coast. This region has a long history of inhabitation, and due to this it has been noticeably polluted.

Climate
Higher Tar-dinuu is tropical, and mostly humid. In the far north of the country there is no major change in the climate throughout the year, and it remains warm and wet all year round. Though the entire nation is always warm, south of Yurdtri’s Fingers there is a wet and dry season. The wet season lasts from November to March and is characterized by heavy rainfall and slightly warmer temperatures. The dry season lasts from April to October and is characterized by slightly colder temperatures and less humidity. The temperature overall is 10° and 30° Celsius, with slightly higher temperatures being the norm during the wet season. The warmer end of this range is becoming more and more common as the global temperature increases, and Higher Tar-dinuu now sees frequent heat waves that regularly are warmer than the previous maximum temperatures.

Biodiversity
This country is considered an unusually country, mostly as a result of its geography. On its mainland it is a tropical rainforest-cloaked peninsula connecting Tiridinia to Vidina. It has a rugged mountain range, whose cloud forests have an extremely high rate of endemism. Additionally, the Kidal Sea is peppered with islands, which also have a high rate of endemism. Higher Tar-dinuu has several major habitats. Most of the country is covered by the Tar-haumin, the tropical rainforest that carpets the coast. Further inland is the Kutaumin, which is made up of tropical dry forest. Yurdtri’s Fingers are another ecoregion, and they are carpeted in thick cloud forest and paramo. The southernmost ecoregion is the Kuumaulm, which is a small area of tropical grassland that barely falls within the borders of Higher Tar-dinuu. Additionally, around the Arin river is the Arin wetland region, which is a heavily fragmented region of marshland that houses Muralilin. The final distinct ecoregions are the islands of Kidal, which is an extremely variable collection of habitats on the various islands in the Kidal Sea. The ocean is no less biodiverse, as the Kidal Sea has a large amount of coral reefs, which are fueled by the warm current that sweeps through the sea. This ocean is home to a wide array of marine life, which are a unique mix of species from both the Locufaric and the !Atlantic. The land habitats house over 8,000 endemic species, concentrated in the cloud forests and the islands of Kidal. This extraordinary wealth of species is protected by the Conservation Proclamation of 1521, which enshrined 40% of the land area of the country as protected from human exploitation. This has prevented the nation from having a major conservation crisis. The culture in Higher Tar-dinuu is very reverential of intact ecosystems, which has further protected the local environment. However, the coral reefs around the islands of Kidal have large oil reserves that have been exploited by several corporations in Higher Tar-dinuu. Along with this, the mouth of the Arin has been exploited for centuries.