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 Minyalga but shares a sea border with (Whatever is on the Vidinian peninsula) and (Whatever else exists around the Kidal Sea). 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 50 CE, 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 remained neutral (despite their extremely strategically significant location). However, during the Second World War, pressure from Salia and their promise of helping Higher Tar-dinuu reclaim islands that had been colonized by Ordrey led them to join the Alliance powers. Higher Tar-dinuu created a blockade on Tuidaro's Strait to prevent the Concert Powers from passing through, and helped Salia in their various military endeavors throughout the world. The nation also used its newly developed navy to harass ships on Concert-allied trade routes, with the intent to injure the economies of those nations.

The nation ultimately did not participate in the Third World War, due to the fact that it had already regained the islands it had lost to Ordrey centuries prior. Though it retained elements of its militarization of the Strait, it did not participate in any major wars after the Second World War.

Higher Tar-dinuu continues this age of peace and stability into the modern day. In global affairs it is regarded as a great power, and it has a developed, high-income economy and the highest Human Development Score in Tiridinia. However, though its economy has been diversified in recent years, its heavy dependence on exporting petroleum suggests that this period of prosperity is likely not sustainable into the future.

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 while migrating to Vidina. They left behind many flint weapons and many carved bone trinkets. Most objects left behind from these ancient people have been found in areas that would have been subtropical grassland at the time, suggesting that they avoided the rainforest that would have occupied the far north. Eventually, approximately 6,000 years ago, the first agriculture was practiced in the region. In small villages in the rainforests, lived to what is now known as the Burtulaen culture. These people lived in the southern half of what is now Higher Tar-dinuu, in small agricultural communities. It has been suggested that these people were the ones to originally domesticate qih and spread yams as a food crop. Additionally, Archeological evidence shows they made unique ceramic artwork that was likely somewhat religious in nature. However, they never discovered any form of metal forging. 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. They originally were a collection of tribes who lived on the various islands in the Kidal sea. The Kidal built ships out of the palm trees they found on their islands, and were prolific explorers. Evidence of their existence, in the form of monk-seal bone talismans, can be found as far away from the islands which they lived on as the southernmost regions of Vidina. They even converted some of the clans in the mountain in the north of the peninsula to their religion, as evidenced by the name of their god of the earth (Yurdtri) continuing to be the namesake of these mountains. 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 were the ancestors of the Dinuu. These people were organized into a number of clans, lead by a priest who functioned as both a religious and executive power in the clan. They were another agricultural civilization, located on the slopes of Yurdtri’s Fingers and the surrounding regions. The Proto-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 in the region to enter the Bronze Age. While it isn’t currently known when exactly the Proto-Dinuu discovered metal-working, it is estimated 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 around two hundred years after its founding, so the actual circumstances of its beginnings had already been distorted by generations of storytellers by the time the first letters were inscribed on clay tablets. Though pictograms carved into walls of ancient buildings allow us to get some idea to supplement the stories, these were often mythologized to the point of being extremely dubious as a source of actual historical knowledge.

The legends that were written state that 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 of a Dinuu clan residing somewhere in the mountain range known as Yurdtri’s Fingers who was taught the art of forging metal by an ancient spirit. 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 monarch) 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 successor was usually the first child born to the empire's various merchant-noble families. 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 prowess.

The empire quickly conquered the northern half of what is now mainland Higher Tar-dinuu, as the sedentary villages and the wandering hunter-gatherers were unable to stand up to Tar-dinuu’s superior weaponry. The main culture group of the region, the Burtulaen, was an agrarian society. They were organized into a number of different clans that fought amongst each other too much to muster a sufficient defense against the encroaching army. Unfortunately for them, the Dinuu army immediately enslaved this divided culture, and the portion of the army that stayed behind to maintain control over the northern section of Higher Tar-dinuu quickly put them to work building the massive temple complexes and sprawling cities that became emblematic of the time period. While enslaved, the Burtulaen culture was suppressed. Many ruins that are suspected to have once been the homes of the slaves have carvings that depict the Dinuu removing the tongues of captives. The widespread nature of these depictions in archeological sites dating to the first 400 years of the empire suggests that this was common practice. It is thought that this was to prevent the slaves from planning a revolt against their masters, but also had the side effect of killing off the Burtulaen languages, and therefore their access to the oral storytelling tradition that most cultures had at the time. Due to the ransacking of any Burtulaen villages that were found, the forced conversion to the Dinuu religion, and the erasure of the Burtulaen language and traditions, many scholars have concluded that Tar-dinuu’s actions can be described as cultural genocide. However, due to the lack of reliable records, it is impossible to know conclusively. Additionally, these actions weren’t extremely unusual at the time.

Despite the disdain the Dinuu had for the Burtulaens, many of their achievements lived on. Their usage of tomatoes and cotton was adopted throughout the empire, along with the qih. Actually, the qih are suspected to have been a major factor in the Dinuu’s success. These animals provided a stable supply of meat that could be moved along with the armies, while also functioning as a method for carrying supplies and soldiers. The qih-driven chariots were legendarily terrifying. Additionally, the pottering techniques of the Burtulaen were instrumental in the infamous spider-jars constructed by Tar-dinuu as a primitive form of bioweaponry. Making pottery that was sturdy enough to be carried around safely on the qih-driven chariots while also being delicate enough to break and release a swarm of spiders on impact with opponents required extreme finesse, and the techniques that allowed for that were probably acquired from the Burtulaens.

However, as the Dinuu advanced south, they realized they could not replicate the Burtulaen model of tight control and exploitation all over the empire. When the Flir (names were almost never recorded, as the Dinuu at the time considered ranks or titles more important than individuals) led the march into what is now called Minyalga, they were quickly rebuffed by the more organized Suhul cultures. They were more advanced than the Burtulaens, and the conquest was much longer. Legends state that the Dinuu army spent 5o years attempting to conquer the region, and the entire time they had to constantly put down rebellions. This was a sign to the Flir that they must revise their policies. The tight grip they kept around the heart of the empire wasn’t possible here, so far away from the source of their supplies. The Flir proposed a radical restructuring of the way the empire was managed. Instead of being completely unified, it was divided into numerous states. Each would be ruled by a Dinuu !warlord selected by the Flir. These !warlords would have absolute power over their region, but some chose to only have a light grip over their portion of Tar-dinuu to prevent rebellion. Despite this moderately less totalitarian method of controlling Tar-dinuu, this system in no way allowed the conquered regions equal power. Along with the rulers of these regions being Dinuu chosen by the Flir, they were frequently ransacked by Tar-dinuu’s armies in order to fund their various expeditions (as the empire constantly was attempting to expand throughout its entire history), and a steady trickle of slaves and natural resources were constantly being drained from every non-Dinuu region of the empire.

However, by allowing the people of the empire to practice their culture unheeded and live relatively independent of Dinuu control, Tar-dinuu was able to expand much more effectively. At the height of the empire (around 230 BCE), it managed to accomplish many things. Using shipbuilding techniques acquired by the conquered Kidal, the empire managed to trade with people as far away as !Polynesia and Vidina. They managed the most expansive trade routes in Tiridinia at the time, which allowed quick movement of resources, people, and ideas across Tar-dinuu. The true extent of this trade route is physically evidenced by the Edlrist silver medallions and Tar-dinuuen spider-web motif’s in clothing across the regions the trade routes passed through. The priestly scholars and merchant nobility of the rich trading cities on the northeastern coasts brought ideas from all of the cultures they conquered. Their inventors constructed the first wheels and concrete in Tiridinia. Their architects built their signature temple complexes in the mountains, and the famed labyrinthine tombs are still being uncovered today beneath the cities of Higher Tar-dinuu. Their astronomers made sophisticated star charts and simple telescopes.

One Kidalian merchant, drawing from the diverse religious beliefs of the conquered cultures they had witnessed in their travel along the empire’s trade routes, created the religion of Edlrism. It persists as a major religion to this day. In its simplest possible description, it states that a god, known as Edlr, lives in the Kidal Sea, where they construct all of the souls in the world. All living things have the same basic kind of soul, though animal and plant souls are less refined than human ones. Tar-dinuu outlawed Edlrism at first, as one of its tenets is that all human souls are the same. This jeopardized the narrative of Dinuu supremacy that was prevalent in the government at the time, along with the divine right of the Flir. The conquered states were told to enslave and publicly remove the tongues of all who were found spreading the message of Edlrism. However, in 451 BCE, a Flir came to power who was much more tolerant than the previous ones. They met with the religious leaders of the early Edlrist movement to create a syncretic variant of Edlrism that could allow for the existence of the hierarchy of past lives (therefore keeping the Flir’s legitimacy intact). This day, now a holiday in Higher Tar-dinuu called the Day of Liberation, marked the beginning of a time in which all religions would be allowed to be practiced peacefully. Since this day, Tar-dinuu has maintained a tradition of religious tolerance that extended even after it dissolved.

The Day of Liberation did not just signal the beginning of religious tolerance, but also a more general trend of improving conditions across the empire. For example, while the Flir maintained absolute executive power over the empire, in 445 BCE the method of governance in Tar-dinuu changed yet again. Replacing the !warlords who ran each conquered state came !governors. While the !warlords were all chosen by the Flir from a pool of prominent people from the military, the governors came from and were elected by a council of all of local spiritual, economic, and cultural leaders in the region. That meant that the leaders of each state would be more likely to represent the people they ruled over. This did not mark the end of the exploitation of these regions, as the !governors still had to be loyal to Flir and deliver taxes to the capital. Resources and people were still drained from each subjugated area. But life in those regions was much more pleasant for the non-Dinuu citizens. Because of this, less military force was required to keep the conquered lands under control. Due to the lack of as much totalitarian military control of Tar-dinuu, the first actual force dedicated to enforcing laws in Tiridinia was organized. Previously, crimes were only really punished when they affected a member of the Dinuu ruling class. Additionally, the warriors chasing these criminals rarely patrolled outside of the city. This left the trade routes prone to attacks from bandits and settlements lacking a significant Dinuu presence in states of chaos. After the fall of the !warlords, the soldiers now could properly enforce the Tar-dinuuen law, to the benefit of most citizens of the empire. Of course, this wasn’t a completely benevolent force. Any people not connected to a known settlement found by the law-enforcement forces were automatically treated with suspicion. This contributed to the death of many of the smaller nomadic societies, which were often assumed to merely be wandering bandits. Additionally, the unoccupied soldiers could be directed to continue the expansion of Tar-dinuu’s borders. This is most of the reason that Tar-dinuu managed to attain the land it did after the reform.

Of course, the deposition of the !warlords left a lot of militarily trained violent people antagonistic towards the state. Though many !warlords were able to integrate into the merchant-nobility of the north, many were unable to re-attain legitimate power in the Tar-dinuuen government. Many former !warlords began to organize small hosts of soldiers who were also angered by their loss of status and turned to a life of raiding. These bands, called !Name, caused a lot of chaos in the empire. They burnt agricultural land, raided trade routes, and destroyed villages when they were able. These small groups were too disparate to be a real threat, until 436 BCE. At that time, a former !warlord who was titled as the Disgraced in official accounts, rallied many of the wandering bands into one army. Several propaganda tablets from this group have survived, and it seems that they attempted to convince the Dinuu that they were being eclipsed by other cultures in their own empire. This was, of course, not true, as Tar-dinuu was still strongly aligned with Dinuu supremacy. While the non-Dinuu provinces were not as mistreated, they still were constantly being drained of their resources, and the non-Dinuu still lived as second-class citizens in any Dinuu majority states. However, the mere presence of the non-Dinuu !governors made this message very persuasive, especially to those who had lived wealthily off of exploitation in the conquered states prior to the reforms.

Once the Disgraced managed to amass a large enough army, they began a war that is now known as the Northward March. In this attack, the rebellius army swept across Tar-dinuu, ransacking farms and swelling their numbers by enslaving those they encountered in the villages along the way to act as mercenaries. They did not have a proper base of operations, having a legendary moving fortress that housed the former !warlords instead. Though accounts state this was a massive log fortress moved on legs like that of a parrot and could spit javelins, it is theorized that this was just an exceptionally large carriage-like vehicle.

The ultimate intent of the Disgraced was to seize the northeastern coastal cities, which were the heart of the empire, and kill the Flir. However, they were stopped. During a long period of fighting, an enslaved individual became a spy for Tar-dinuu. In 414 BCE, this enslaved person (or perhaps a different one, Tar-dinuuen records only refer to them as ‘a spy’ because the Dinuu scribes only gave titles to Dinuu people) placed put a drop of Scarlet Tree-Salamander poison in the tomato-wine of the Disgraced, killing them. The other former !warlords immediately began bickering about who should be the replacement. The warriors in the army took sides, and soon most of the former !warlords who had joined the Disgraced had been killed by each other. Only two remained, and they only had a fraction of the force they had controlled previously. Noticing the weakness, the enslaved conscripts turned against their former masters, further contributing to the chaos of the rebel army. The army of the Tar-dinuu slaughtered the remaining military leaders and enslaved the soldiers and conscripts who survived the internal conflict. Legends state that one former !warlord survived the battle and escaped to live in the rainforest for several years. They were later captured again by a group of law-enforcement warriors ironically largely composed of the enslaved former members of the revolutionary army (individuals with actual training in combat were rare enough that most of the enslaved soldiers ended up being conscripted to work in such roles). The !warlord, now an old man, is said to have come peacefully to the city, where he was publicly executed in the manner that was common at the time (submersion into a massive ilkimur [‘soul home’, an Edlrist shrine that takes the form of a concrete pool filled with water and various captured rainforest organisms] full of starved Arin striped caimans).

The failure of the Northward March put the empire into a period of peace that lasted until 15 CE. A renewed focus on getting the !Names under control was taken by Tar-dinuu’s military. Most of the former !warlords were eventually executed and their soldiers enslaved, though a couple of them were reintegrated into the empire’s government. During this period of prosperity, Tar-dinuu continued expanding and advancing, eventually leaving the Bronze Age for the Iron Age. There was even some social change. The ethnic hierarchy that had started to loosen on the Day of Liberation continued to do so. The Kidal culture quickly mixed with that of the Dinuu in the cities around the Kidal Sea, a process that began with Edlrism. In fact, conditions improved for many across the empire. For the first time, the northeastern merchant nobility began to include the conquered peoples. The most famous monument in Tar-dinuu was also built in this period, the !MountainTemple. This massive step-pyramid was carved into the southern face of mountain and was a stunning 139 meters tall at its highest point. Its interior is mostly a natural cave system that has been stylized into various rooms, such as tombs for priests, areas for worship, and sleeping quarters. It is the largest single building ever constructed by the Dinuu before the modern era of skyscrapers. Even now, it is considered a !UNESCO World Heritage Site and there is an ongoing restoration project.

Of course, this magnificent era came to an end in 15 CE. Wealth had started to flow more equally across the empire. While the long-ago conquered states still sent taxes and slaves north, now the north was beginning to send some resources back in the form of foreign riches from Vidina and precious metals from the mountains. The previously mostly ethnically homogenous nature of the government in Tar-dinuu was no more, as mentioned. Many of the old merchant-nobility were uncomfortable sharing their status with people who they considered fit for nothing but servitude. One member of this part of the ruling class resolved to bring back what he considered the glory days of Tar-dinuu. As an individual who managed a lot of trade, they heard tales of the distant monarchies, where the lords ruled by the right of their ancestry. This method of hierarchy, based on blood as opposed to soul, was not a known concept in Tar-dinuu at the time. While there had been a racial hierarchy in the past, it had been reasoned that the Dinuu simply had more refined souls than other groups. Now that philosophy had broken down, for the most part, the merchant-noble believed that appealing to something more physical could be a useful way to regain their supposed ‘lost’ power. They conscripted a private army of slaves and rallied the population with similar propaganda to the ancient Northward March. Inside the capitol of the empire, the city had slipped into chaos. Eventually, a mob of angered Dinuu citizens and the private army reached the palace, overwhelming it with sheer numerical superiority. They managed to kill the Flir.

As the merchant-noble replaced the Flir, they assumed the title of Edrit. They were intent on founding a dynasty, where those who would rule Tar-dinuu forever after would be their descendants. Additionally, they declared a return to the ancient days of the empire. All of the lands as under one Edrit, not a myriad of disparate !governors. A return to the times of complete control was required in order to bring back the fictitious days of glory and wealth. Most of the empire refused to follow him, but the Edrit had quickly silenced much of the dissent. Many of the !governors were executed, while the priests and non-Dinuu merchant-nobility were sent into slavery. The Edrit was intent on being the only authority in the empire. However, this move to silence all who questioned their authority was the Edrit’s main mistake. Even with an army swelled by conscripts, the attempt to bring all of Tar-dinuu under firm control resulted in the Edrit being unable to take control of any part of Tar-dinuu.

Revolts became commonplace all over the empire, as the people would not tolerate this method of rulership. Additionally, the army was mostly conscripted enslaved people near the end of the Edrit’s rule. These soldiers tended not to be loyal. Desertion was an everyday occurrence, though punishable by death, and oftentimes the conscripts would join the rebellions as opposed to combatting them. Quickly, most of the land outside of the heart of the empire (the northeastern coastal cities), had managed to secede. Finally, at around 50 CE, the Edrit left the capitol, escaping into the rainforest and leaving Tar-dinuu leaderless. Their heirs were killed by the rebellious forces, and the empire of 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 50 CE (though that is the date when the Edrit was deposed, most cities had fallen by 47 CE), 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 Nurvidin 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, Edlrism 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 from subjugation by hostile forces and to further the spread of Edlrism 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 unusual 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 number 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.

Demographics
Tar-dinuu was one of the earliest countries to conduct national censuses, with the first one recorded in 822 BCE. Though the use of these was sporadic, as even with expansive roadways constructed for trade in ancient times, communication was too slow to efficiently run censuses as the empire expanded. Though the core of the empire continued running city-wide censuses until the fall of the empire of Tar-dinuu in 50 CE. Even after the downfall of the ancient nation, several cities continued to run limited censuses. Unfortunately, the Nurvidin Plague and the unrest that followed led to an interruption of these censuses. The government officials responsible for these were unwilling to visit the homes of the sick or the insurrectionists. Censuses were conducted sporadically until 1330, a year after Higher Tar-dinuu had been unified and a nationwide census was conducted. Ever since this, a census has been conducted every 5 years, with the last one having been conducted in 2020. The next census will be in 2025. The population as of 2020 is around 50,623,478. 71.81% of this population is concentrated in various urban areas, with the remaining 28.19% living in more rural areas. Additionally, the overall population of the nation is growing at a rate of 8.6%. Some of this is from immigration, as Higher Tar-dinuu is a popular vacation destination across the world. As such, most immigration comes from wealthier nations where the populace has the means to have expensive vacations. These new immigrants have not yet grown enough to eclipse any of the historically prominent ethnic minorities in Higher Tar-dinuu yet but are expected to do so in the next two decades.

Ethnic Groups
Higher Tar-dinuu is populated by a mixture of indigenous groups, descendants of historical colonizers, and descendants of the various cultures that had a significant trading relationship with Higher Tar-dinuu in the past. The largest two ethnic groups are the indigenous Dinuu (35.5%) and Kidal (30.2%), who both occupy a roughly equal percentage of the country’s population. Both have an extremely prominent position in Higher Tar-dinuu and have exerted a great cultural influence on each other and surrounding cultures.

Historical status as a hub for trade throughout most of its entire history has meant that these groups share their nation with several ethnic groups from the surrounding cultures. More specifically, the Minyal (8.33%), !South Vidinan (5.01%), and !Polynesian (4.2%) ethnic groups have a fairly significant presence throughout the country. The final major ethnic group in Higher Tar-dinuu is the Ordrish. The Ordrish population is from the days in which many islands in the Kidal Sea were Ordrish colonies, and in the years since colonization has developed into a unique culture, distinct from their ancestors and from the local Kidalians. Additionally, many individuals from Ordrey have immigrated to Higher Tar-dinuu, usually integrating into these communities. The remaining 6.46% of the population is mostly made up of a mixture of Vidinian, Osamian, and other northern Alutran ethnic groups. Most prominently is the Salian population, who are descended from soldiers in World War I and II.

This official list of ethnic groups recognized by the government of Higher Tar-dinuu is said by many to ignore the full diversity within the nation. For example, the Dinuu are culturally divided into at least three separate subgroups: the Northern Dinuu, Eastern Dinuu, and Western Dinuu. Additionally, the Kidal are divided into many separate ethnicities, and the Kidal groups found on the mainland are actually more closely culturally linked to Suhul of Minyalga than to the Kidal groups on the islands of Kidal. However, this actually was initially intentional. During the reign of Ridar the Unifier, purposely chose to change the way the census was conducted and people were categorized. At the time, most citizens of Higher Tar-dinuu were still more loyal to their pre-unification kingdom than to their modern country. Therefore, along with launching a set of propaganda campaigns meant to encourage nationalism and a sense of shared heritage, official documents were rewritten to categorize the edmuralit’s subjects in much broader groups. Since the assassination of edmuralit Ridar, Higher Tar-dinuu has become more accepting of its multicultural nature. However, this initial broader categorization has not been changed. Whether or not it should is still a matter of much political debate.

Religion
Higher Tar-dinuu has maintained a tradition of religious tolerance since 451 BCE, even though some periods throughout Higher Tar-dinuu’s history did not practice this. Despite this overall religious tolerance, the nation had Edlrism as its state religion for most of its history. Though it allowed other religions to be practiced within its borders, it required all politicians to be Edlrist and passed many policies using Edlrist philosophy as a justification. Many of these policies remain, and even today Edlrist edhamas are the only religious buildings considered tax-exempt. However, Higher Tar-dinuu has been an officially secular country since 1849 CE.

As mentioned, Higher Tar-dinuu has had a long history of religious tolerance and therefore doesn’t place many restrictions on what religions are permitted to be practiced within its borders. However, some specific rituals are forbidden. Since the Holy Reform Proclamation of 1422, religious practices that involve human sacrifice, self-harm, or violations of an individual's autonomy have been banned, and the Creatures of Edlr Proclamation of 1517 forbids rituals that involved the killing of ‘higher’ beasts (mammals, some birds, and the animals on the list of sacred animals).

Languages
Higher Tar-dinuu has two national languages, Dinuu and Kidal. Both these languages are used in official documents, and it is common practice to release two copies of each document, one in each official language. On the mainland, most people speak Dinuu primarily, and on the islands of Kidal most predominantly speak Kidal. However, most citizens in Higher Tar-dinuu are capable of understanding both languages, though only around 67% stated they were fluent as of the 2020 census. Dinuu is considered a direct evolution of the Proto-Dinuu language, spoken during the age of the empire of Higher Tar-dinuu. In the years since the empire, it has seen considerable influence from the Kidal, Minyal, and Vidinan languages. Generally, it has been recognized to be split into a couple of unique dialects, though since the unification in 1329 the differences in each dialect have faded. The Kidal language is actually several closely related languages, though the !EasternIslands Kidal is usually the one used for official purposes by the national government, as it is the most widely spoken variant. Documents written by state governments typically use the most common variant in their state. All of the Kidal languages are similar enough that most individuals who know one Kidalian language can generally understand the others. Due to the fact the Kidal languages do not have their own script, all documents are written in the Dinuu script.

Some states also write official documents in Ordrish, though this is only in areas that were colonized by Ordrey in the past.

Additionally, Interspeech is fairly commonly spoken in urban areas of Higher Tar-dinuu. The teaching of this language is up to the discretion of the individual schooling systems, but most do. Given the significant presence of immigrants and tourists from all over the world in the country, around 49% of Higher Tar-dinuuens state they are fluent in Interspeech, and around 28% state they use this knowledge relatively frequently.

Education and Science
Originally, parents were expected to train their children what they needed to know by themselves. The only exceptions were during the age of the empire of Tar-dinuu when there were several religious institutions that upper-class individuals could educate themselves at. As society progressed and literacy became an ability necessary to those outside of the aristocracy, more Edlrist temples were constructed to be used for the general education of the populace. This education was still fairly informal and was not mandated by the various governments that ran them. Resources required for education were usually not given to these institutions, so, in order to stay functional, the Edlrist schools usually ended up requiring payment in exchange for a month of schooling. The cost was not exorbitant, so those who were not extremely wealthy still were able to attend, but this meant that the poor still were barred from getting any kind of education. This ended in 1452 when edmuralit Aduu the Philosopher declared that the populace should be educated. She passed a series of reforms that allocated national resources to these schools and made these schools free to all citizens. These schools typically started each students’ learning at the age of 8 and continued their education until they reached the age of 17. The first universities, which were meant to continue the students’ education further, were established soon after in the major cities across Higher Tar-dinuu.

More reformations have occurred since this day, eventually culminating in the modern public school system. In the modern-day, Higher Tar-dinuu has a public but fairly decentralized school system. Each individual school system has authority over the curriculum and is not required to report to any higher authority. However, there are several important restrictions, including the previously mentioned enforced non-profit nature of the schools, many laws against discrimination, laws mandating that all education must be completely secular, and building codes. Many schools have a heavy emphasis on individual student projects and solitary study, punctuated by rigorous testing. This model has proven to be stressful to students, as most students report that this individualized learning which places a significant amount of personal responsibility on the individual students and stops students from getting the help they require. Some school systems are reforming the education system to decrease the rate of student suicide, though this is change is considered controversial.

Attendance is compulsory for all children over the age of 7, with this requirement continuing through primary school into secondary school. The requirement ends when the individual reaches the age of 18, after which they can decide to continue onto public universities, privatized religious schooling, or simply to cease formal education. There is almost a 99% literacy rate in the country, and 65% of high school students in the last 5 years have moved on to tertiary education.

Health
Higher Tar-dinuu has had a nationalized universal healthcare system since 1911. It is generally considered one of the more robust social security systems in the world, though some rural regions of the country have insufficient access to it due to poor welfare. Even so, life expectancy across Higher Tar-dinuu overall has increased from 53.1 to 80.32 years, and the leading cause of death is due to non-communicable illnesses, more specifically cardiovascular diseases.