Higher Tar-dinuu

}} The Higher Tar-dinuu or the Kingdom of Higher Tar-dinuu is a tropical nation located in northern Tiridinia. To the south it borders the partially recognized nation of Lower Tar-dinuu and nation(s) of !Neighbors. To the west it borders the Locufaric Ocean. It encompasses much of the Kidal Sea, and through it shares a border with !Neighbors and Énqusqó. It is 642,892.81 square kilometers, containing a population of 30,623,478 divided into 33 states.

Higher Tar-dinuu was first settled by hunter-gatherers traveling through the region from Osamia, 20,000 years ago. However, the first major power in the region formed around 1,000 BCE in the mountain range termed Yurdtri’s Fingers.The mountains contained rich deposits of various metals that allowed them to quickly advance beyond the current capabilities of their neighbors, and unite the peninsula on which they lived beneath the Empire of Tar-dinuu. Though this empire was successful in its expansion for many centuries, in 15 CE the Flir of Tar-dinuu was deposed and the nation began to decline. The resulting destabilization, alongside the policies enacted by the new regime, led to the spread of secessionist movements. By around 50 CE, Tar-dinuu dissolved into a collection of sovereign nations. However, in 1321 CE, the city-states were forced to reunite in the face of a growing threat in the form of an !Empire forming in the south. They formed a loose alliance, called the Confederacy of Tar-dinuu. This measure was not successful, mostly due to each member-state strongly resisting any measure that would limit their autonomy in any way. The !Empire conquered the kingdoms 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. However, in a period of expansionism soon after the birth of the kingdom, Lower Tar-dinuu was annexed alongside the eastern islands of Kidal and portions of the Énqusqó Peninsula.

Higher Tar-dinuu’s position of dominance across the Kidal Sea gave it extraordinary influence over trade from Osamia-Tiridinia and Vidina, something that became even more valuable with the rise of colonial powers. For a very short period following the arrival of foreign nations this meant an even greater flow of wealth into the kingdom, but soon the empires of Alutra and Harad began reevaluating their goals and working towards directly controlling the Kidal Sea. Gladomyr colonized the eastern Kidal Sea, only to later lose its holdings to Ordrey. In response, Higher Tar-dinuu became a protectorate of !TiridinianEmpire to prevent further encroachment on their territory.

When the First World War occurred, Higher Tar-dinuu remained neutral despite their 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 and Salia created a blockade around the Kidal Sea to prevent the Concert forces from passing through the region, and Higher Tar-dinuu led a campaign in the islands of Kidal and the Énqusqó Peninsula to conquer their old holdings. This required an immense amount of aid from Salia, and after the conflict ended Salia refused to withdraw troops from the islands of Kidal. With the knowledge that Higher Tar-dinuu could not win a war against their benefactor, the kingdom agreed to allow Salia to incorporate the eastern Kidal Sea and the Vinca Canal into the Salian colony on the Énqusqó peninsula, while the remaining portions of  Higher Tar-dinuu would become a part of a protectorate. This formation of the country was subservient to Salia in all matters, but not directly administered by it.

In the Third World War, Higher Tar-dinuu did not directly participate. However, it still supported Salia in many ways until the Riyude-supported Higher Tar-dinuuen Democratic Coalition overthrew the Salian-aligned Tar-dinuuen Heritage Party in 1956 and joined the Concert powers. After the revolution, Higher Tar-dinuu and Riyude collaborated to expel Salia from the region. This effort eventually forced the Salian military into the region that would become Lower Tar-dinuu, leading to Salia working with the preexisting separatist forces in the area to better defend against the Concert powers. This would extend into a civil war that would continue even after Salia officially withdrew following the end of World War II, which culminated in the full secession of Lower Tar-dinuu in 1964.

Following the conflict, Higher Tar-dinuu rebuilt and entered an age of peace and stability that extends into the modern day. Currently, it is regarded as a middle power with great influence in its local region. It has a high-income economy and the highest Human Development Index rank in Tiridinia. Its beautiful expansive rainforests and reefs, the spiritual capital of Edlrism in the form of the city of Edrin, island resorts, and ancient monuments have drawn a flourishing tourism industry. However, it also has a heavy reliance on petroleum extraction which has prompted many to suggest that, even with the tourism industry and extensive government investment in green energy, this prosperity is unsustainable.

Etymology
The name “Tar-dinuu” comes from the Proto-Dinuu word for land (“Tar”) and the Proto-Dinuu word for themselves, “Dinuu”. “Dinuu” itself comes from a fusion of the Proto-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 flint weapons and many bone trinkets carved with images of stylized snakes. 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 and the regions are the rivers.

Eventually, approximately 4,000 years ago, some of these hunter-gatherers began to settle into more sedentary agricultural communities inside the rainforests. These people were later called the Burtulaens. They lived in the southern half of what is now Higher Tar-dinuu, in small villages. This society were likely the original people to domesticate qih and spread yams as a food crop. Not much else is really known about this culture, as most remains of their villages weren't burnt down in later invasions. In the few relatively intact sites, archaeologists have found complicated works of ceramic art that appeared to depict qih, suggesting these animals likely had some form of religious significance (though this could have been a peculiarity in the specific subsection of the culture). No remains of any form of metallic tools have ever been found in Burtulaen sites. This lack of metal is suggested to have been one of the factors 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 are the precursors of the Kidal civilization. They originally were a collection of tribes who lived on the various islands in the Kidal sea. This culture built large, fairly advanced ships 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 coast of southern Vidina. They even converted many of the clans in the mountains 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 term used for this mountain range. The Proto-Kidal first appeared around 4,000 years ago, and their ancestors have maintained an influential and distinct cultural presence to this day.

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. They were another agricultural civilization, located on the slopes of Yurdtri’s Fingers and the surrounding regions. The Proto-Dinuu mastered the techniques 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 discover metalworking. 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. The ability to forge weaponry out of metal quickly gave the Proto-Dinuu an advantage over the other cultures in the region, allowing them to quickly expand from the mountain range they ruled before into the southern lowlands.

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 in the empire. Though pictograms carved into walls of ancient buildings allow us to get some idea to supplement the stories, these were often mythologized, so they 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 the lands south of Tar-dinuu, they were quickly rebuffed by the more organized !Neighbor 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 or soil 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 meant to reverse the damage that has been wrought by the elements and marauders.

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 real 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.

Post-empire 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, Kudi 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 earth, 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 beginning of the Dinuu these mountains were the center of their 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. In fact, Higher Tar-dinuu is considered a megadiverse country. Higher Tar-dinuu has several major habitats. Most of the country is covered by the Tar-haum, the tropical rainforest that carpets the coast. Further inland is the Kutaum, 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 have exploited by the government of Higher Tar-dinuu. Along with this, the mouth of the Arin has been severally environmentally degraded due to its extremely long history of human habitation.

Politics
Higher Tar-dinuu is a federal state governed by a constitutional monarchy. The monarch is termed Edmuralit, meaning 'Edlr-chosen-person' in the Dinuu language. The current one in this position is Hirdui the Slow, while the current prime minister is Lurar. Since the Modernization Proclamation conducted by Edmuralit Griruun the Modern and the formal establishment of the Constitution of Higher Tar-dinuu in 1835, the Edmuralit has been almost entirely eclipsed by the prime minister. However, the monarch still has the right to be informed of all matters of the state and to propose new policies (but not to make said policies).

The parliament of Higher Tar-dinuu is called the Grand Assembly and is descended from the appointed board of advisors for the edmuralit. Elections for members of the Grand Assembly are held every 4 years, with universal suffrage from the age of 18 onward since the Democratization Proclamation of 1880.

Administrative Divisions
Higher Tar-dinuu is divided into 33 states, each of which is semi-autonomous. The states were formally enshrined in the Constitution of Higher Tar-dinuu, though this method of organization had been the case since the beginning of the kingdom.

The states have histories dating to even before the establishment of Higher Tar-dinuu. All of the states are based on the nations that were in the area prior to unification, mostly to ease the transition from a set of disparate kingdoms to one country.

Due to this, each state has a unique culture and history. Additionally, much of the population is more loyal to the state they live in than their country as a whole. The unification initiatives that have occurred throughout the country’s history have eased the tensions between the states and the national government. A map of the states is as follows:

1. !TBD             15. !TBD (Ordrish)     30. Kurdki

2. Tar-Jurnuu    16. Julilin                    31. Illital

3. Kimurin         17. !TBD                     32. !TBD

4. !TBD             18. !TBD                     33. !TBD (Ordrish

5. Budimur        20. !TBD

6. Tuurin           21. !TBD

7. Muralilin        22. Buurin

8. Faudilin         23. Nurvidki

9. Edrin             24. !TBD

10. !TBD           25. Nitri

11. !TBD           26. Uki

12. !TBD           27. Yudal

13. !TBD           28. !TBD

14. !TBD           29. !TBD

Most states are divided into several smaller portions, termed adins (Local-place’ in Dinuu), typically centered around individual cities. These divisions are governed by a Lesser Assembly modeled after the one in the national government. This Lesser Assembly has the power to make locally applicable laws that do not directly contradict the Constitution of Higher Tar-dinuu or any laws passed by the Grand Assembly (with some exceptions) and manage all local government amenities, such as law enforcement, school systems, health care, and protecting their local environment. Members of this legislating body are elected from the local population every 3 years. The requirements to join the Lesser Assembly are: being over the age of 18, being a citizen of Higher Tar-dinuu, living in the adin that is being governed, and not having any felonies on record. There is a maximum of 50 individuals in each Lesser Assembly, though some may have slightly less. The minimum is 30 individuals.

Each Lesser Assembly is led by an Ad-edmuralit (‘Local-Edlr-chosen-person’ in Dinuu), which was originally similar to the royal family in that it was an inherited position. However, it has since become an elected position, with the local populace voting every 3 years. It was meant to allow the rulers of the former nations to maintain some power following unification. This is mostly a ceremonial position, with the Ad-edmuralit having the same powers as any member of the Lesser Assembly. However, prior to the Democratization Proclamation of 1800, they could also veto any laws and could vote for members of the Lesser Assembly to join the Grand Assembly.

While most states abide by the rules outlined here, some vary.

The state of Edrin, as an example, is not required to follow any of the secularization laws. Additionally, their Lesser Assemblies are split into two wings, one secular and one spiritual. The secular wing functions as normal, but the spiritual wing of the Lesser Assembly is unelected (with all members being members of the Edlrist religious establishment). Both parts of the Lesser Assembly have equal power.

Another example is Muralilin, which does not have any adlins and instead is ruled directly by the national government and the Grand Assembly.

Legislature and Prime Minister
Most aspects of the government of Higher Tar-dinuu are controlled by the Grand Assembly and have been since 1835. This unicameral legislature has complete control over the nation's military, manages foreign affairs, passes laws (which are passed with a majority vote), and manages all national government amenities. Members of the Grand Assembly are simply referred to as Representatives.

In order to be a potential Representative, an individual must have first held a seat in the Lesser Assembly for at least 6 years and must be elected by the majority of the populace in their state.

Each state can elect 10 Representatives every 4 years, irrespective of population. The country as a whole has 330 Representatives as a result. These representatives can only run for office 5 times consecutively.

All Representatives have the same power except for one, who is termed the Prime Minister. They are nominated by the political party with the majority of seats in parliament and are meant to symbolically lead the nation. They have the ability to veto laws by the Grand Assembly and they are also the only Representative to be able to propose amendments to the Constitution of Higher Tar-dinuu. However, 80% of the Grand Assembly must also agree for the amendment to pass. The Prime Minister also can nominate Representatives to serve as advisors. These individuals do not have more political power than other Representatives but can inform the Prime Minister’s actions. Finally, the Prime Minister is expected to act as the face of Higher Tar-dinuu to the world. They are supposed to be the representative of the country on the world stage and lead all negotiations with foreign powers (even if the actual foreign policy is organized by the Grand Assembly as a whole). The current Prime Minister is Lurar.

The legislature is divided into several parties, with the dominant in the Grand Assembly at the moment being the pale-Blue Tar-dinuuen Ecological Party. This party seeks to end Higher Tar-dinuu’s dependence on oil, encourage the protection of its natural wilderness, develop renewable energy infrastructure, and promote actions to end the climate crisis across the world. Their critics will state that they have failed to act on most of their goals, but it has been dominant in Higher Tar-dinuuen politics since 2016.

Other Higher Tar-dinuuen parties are (in order of decreasing popularity): the Internationalist Party, the Edlrist Party, Kidalian Nationalist Party, the Blue Party, and the Tar-dinuuen Heritage Party.

Law
Higher Tar-dinuu has an expansive tiered court system and several prestigious law schools. The ultimate law of the land is the Constitution of Higher Tar-dinuu, which outlines the rights and foundational laws of the nation.

The lowest tier of the Higher Tar-dinuuen court system is the Adin Court. These small courts resolve local issues and disputes. Each judge in this system is elected by their local populace from a pool of prospective candidates (all of whom must be previously experienced lawyers).

If these judges are suspected to have acted against the interests of the law (such as making a ruling based on personal biases instead of the actual facts of a case) or committed another crime, a referendum to launch an investigation can be conducted in their adin. If the majority of the populace votes to investigate, the state Judicial Authority will send specialists to exhaustively study the situation. If the judge is found guilty, they will be removed from their position and fined. After this, a new election that the guilty judge cannot participate in is conducted. Higher Tar-dinuuen judges also have term limits, and they can serve for no longer than 8 years. However, they are permitted to run again unless (as mentioned) they have been found guilty of any sort of crime.

Decisions made in Adin Courts do not apply outside of their specific adins.

The second tier is the State Court, which is similar to the adin courts except that their decisions are of higher consequence. All judges are elected from a pool of judges that were elected at least twice in an adin court system and were never voted to be removed by their adin. Removing them requires a popular referendum, and the punishment for not acting in the interests of the law is much more severe. Doing so results in a prison sentence of up to 5 years, depending on the severity of the offense. If not removed, a state judge can serve for 20 years. Unlike an Adin judge, who can run for an unlimited number of terms, state judges can only run for re-election twice.

The state court only handles issues that affect multiple adins, or that the majority of the people in an adin do not believe was handled correctly in the adin court. Their decisions apply to all adins within a state.

The third and final tier of the court is the National Court. They are elected from judges from the state court who were never removed. They are considered the ultimate voice of the Constitution of Higher Tar-dinuuen, and their verdicts are accepted by all members of the Higher Tar-dinuuen government. Unless argued against by another court system, their decisions apply in every part of Higher Tar-dinuu.

National judges are elected by a majority vote in the Grand Assembly, pulling from a pool of all State judges. The term limit for National judges is 50 years, and they cannot run again. However, they are permitted to run in the Grand Assembly, even if they were not in any Lesser Assembly.

These National Judges oversee the state Judicial Authorities (the organizations in charge of investigating allegations against judges) and solve any disputes with them. This means that they cannot be investigated by the state Judicial Authority. However, the Grand Assembly has a unique Judicial task force that can be called upon to investigate National Judges if the majority of the Representatives believe that they have acted against the interests of the law.

If a National Judge is found guilty, they are stripped of all political positions and can be given a prison sentence of up to 40 years, depending on the severity of the offense.

Law is enforced by a police force that is controlled by the local Lesser Assembly. Each member of the police force must train for at least 2 years to ensure they have all the necessary skills. Some examples of things learned include training to navigate treacherous terrain, track criminals in the rainforest, and de-escalate violent situations. They are also taught how to use their equipment, which includes military-grade lethal and nonlethal weapons.

Due to being required to cross the wilderness, all members of Higher Tar-dinuuen law enforcement have a  jurisdiction that extends across the entire country.

Despite this unlimited jurisdiction, law enforcement is not permitted to obtain personal information from any individual without permission unless they get a warrant from a local Adin Court. This warrant is only given if the law enforcement can find evidence that obtaining the information will help the law-enforcement official uncover criminal activity.

If a police officer is found to have acted illegally, they will be investigated by their Adin Court or the state Judicial Authority depending on the severity of the crime. The consequences are the same as the consequences would have been if a civilian committed the same crime.

Another responsibility of the police department is to act as a security force for governmental institutions, though this security force is supplemented by private contractors.

Royal family
The Higher Tar-dinuuen symbolic head of state is the edmuralit, an inherited position similar to a monarch. The term directly translates into “Edlr-chosen-person” in Dinuu, reflecting the belief that they were directly chosen by Edlr to lead Higher Tar-dinuu.

The first edmuralit was Trinuun the Great, previously the edmuralit of Muralilin. They were elected by a vote from each pre-unification ruler in the Confederation of Higher Tar-dinuu, though some historians have claimed that Trinuun only managed to win thanks to the mysterious deaths of several rivals. However, the legitimacy of the first election is not important, as it was not followed by any further elections. The eldest child of the sitting edmuralit is the one who is given the position when their parent dies, with a spouse or similarly trusted associate of the deceased edmuralit serving as regent if the child is not old enough.

That is not to say that the current edmuralit is related to Trinuun. Several times throughout Higher Tar-dinuu’s history the edmuralit was overthrown and replaced by a different individual. Oftentimes, this was the initiator of the coup, because it was believed that if an edmuralit was killed without leaving any heirs then that was merely Edlr’s method of choosing a new edmuralit. This outlook resulted in a fairly unstable system, so the edmuralit’s powers were reduced fairly early on.

When the position of edmuralit was first created, the individual was given absolute power over all aspects of the Higher Tar-dinuuen government and was expected to directly manage its laws and foreign policy. However, after the first overthrow of the edmuralit, many of the responsibilities of the edmuralit were delegated to the council of advisors. They would now handle the passing of laws and direct running of the kingdom. This new power led the council to undergo a transformation, changing from a small advisory council to the legislatively powerful Grand Assembly. Despite this, the edmuralit still retained their previous powers. They simply were not required to use them.

In 1460, during the reign of edmuralit Karir the Cold, instability was further prevented by the Pondering Proclamation. This new series of laws passed by the edmuralit prevented any laws passed by the Grand Assembly or the edmuralit from being repealed or contradicted without a majority vote from the Grand Assembly. While this made it more difficult for the laws that had negative effects to be removed, it also meant that no edmuralit could completely change Higher Tar-dinuu’s government. Aiding this was another law that prevented edmuralits from changing the Grand Assembly. Instead of the previous nomination of members of the Grand Assembly, now the members were meant to be elected by the ad-edmuralits that ruled the adlins.

The country was still not any form of representative democracy, even with these reforms. The ad-edmuralits were still unelected, instead being a part of their own small dynasties. However, this changed with the Democratization Proclamation of 1800. Edmuralit Didui the Usurper was originally educated in Edury, where he developed democratic values. Following edmuralit Tuudar the Eternal death and the disappearance of his chosen successor, Didui was unexpectedly given the throne. This led to him implementing the Democratization Proclamation, which would restructure the government into the one we know today. However, the edmuralit still had absolute power until the Modernization Proclamation, at which point the position would come to resemble the one we know today.

In the modern age, the edmuralit does not have very much political power. They are permitted to create policy proposals that the Grand Assembly can translate into actual policies, and have access to all information possessed by the Higher Tar-dinuuen government. They are also responsible for performing several ceremonial rituals.

The edmuralit traditionally lives in a palace in Muralilin, called the Edmuralin (“Edlr-chosen-place”). This expansive building is an adaptation of the original palace of Muralilin, which was built in 842 CE. Its upkeep and all other amenities afforded the edmuralit are paid for by a mixture of tourism revenue and taxes. This has become a matter of controversy in recent years, but most politicians do not believe that this arrangement will change.

Currently, the edmuralit of Higher Tar-dinuu is edmuralit Hirdui the Slow.

Foreign Relations
Higher Tar-dinuu is regarded as a highly influential regional power among the nations around the the Kidal Sea, and a middle power in global affairs. In the modern day, it is experimenting with increasing its involvement with affairs outside of the Kidal Sea. It is a member of the World Forum and the Kidal Sea Cooperative Union.

In contemporary times, the Kingdom of Higher Tar-dinuu generally aims to increase or maintain the prosperity the Kidal Sea region, though in a way that ensures Higher Tar-dinuu is the dominant power. Prominent critics of the nation have generalized the Higher Tar-dinuuen approach to foreign policy in the era following the secession of Lower Tar-dinuu and Southwestern Énqusqó under the moniker ‘Many Crowns, One King’. Higher Tar-dinuu usually avoids rivalry with its neighbors, instead attempting to collaborate with them to create a more economically powerful Kidal Sea, while attempting to create economic and political links in a way that would expand Tar-dinuuen influence.

An example of this strategy is the creation of the Kidal Sea Cooperative Union (KSCU). When the Post-Colonial Economic Sphere of Énqusqó (PCESE) attempted to expand its membership to the nation of Naou Coili, Higher Tar-dinuu quickly attempted to join the organization to prevent the Énqusqan city-states from growing into a threat to its position, leading to the creation of the KSCU. This organization is currently political and economic union in which the member-states share a customs union, shared economic regulations, collaboration between security forces, and other measures meant to encourage commerce and cooperation betweent the member states.

Within the KSCU, Higher Tar-dinuu generally advocates for policies and treaties that would bring the constituent nations closer to federalization, which is its ultimate goal. However, there has been prominent opposition to these policies, as many countries and critics of the kingdom believe that if such measures are merely attempts by Higher Tar-dinuu to erode the sovereignty of their neighbors and bring them under its rule.

Some political analysts classify the KSCU as an emerging great power, though this is not the accepted position. Most believe that more significant unionization and investment in military capabilities would be required for this to be the case.

Higher Tar-dinuu has complicated relations with its neighboring nations, despite the Kidal Sea Cooperative Union. The nation of Énqusqó is regarded as one of Higher Tar-dinuu’s biggest rivals in the Kidal Sea, and as such the two powers often conflict and attempt to undermine each other when possible. However, Higher Tar-dinuu outwardly expresses interest in working to end this rivalry, and has made many attempts to establish cooperation with the Énqusqó. Successful examples include the Kidal Environmental Agreements and the Kidal Sea Cooperative Union.

Despite these attempts at more friendly relations, the kingdom has never officially apologized or offered material restitution for any actions done by Higher Tar-dinuu during the periods in which it occupied Énqusqó.

One of the major conflicts between Énqusqó and Higher Tar-dinuu is the dispute over the recognition of Lower Tar-dinuu. Énqusqó recognizes the breakaway state and frequently attempts to aid it by sending humanitarian aid to the nation. Higher Tar-dinuu officially considers the nation a region of Higher Tar-dinuu illegally occupied by a Salian-sponsored terrorist organization.

Though Higher Tar-dinuu withdrew all troops from Lower Tar-dinuu in 1966, it continually seeks to undermine it in other ways. It has instituted a comprehensive embargo forbidding any corporation that conducts business in the nation from doing so in Higher Tar-dinuu. It also sponsors and arms insurgent groups to destabilize Lower Tar-dinuu

Outside of the Kidal Sea region, Higher Tar-dinuu maintains good relations with Gemurtrak, Yuchvan, and the other Osamian nations.

Higher Tar-dinuu is closely allied with Riyude, due to the fact that the nation helped overthrow the Salian puppet regime during World War III and frequently collaborates with it economically. Higher Tar-dinuu and Énqusqó are both in a military pact with Riyude that assures both nations would be defended if they were to be invaded by a foreign power.

The kingdom has a cordial relationship with Alutran nations, having thawed its approach them following the collapse of the Alutran colonial empires and its acquisition of the islands of Kidal. Though it was allied with Salia during World War II, Salia’s colonization of the nation in the immediate aftermath of the conflict has led to the two nations growing hostile towards each other. This situation has calmed since this period, Higher Tar-dinuu remains cold in its relations with the east Alutran power.

Despite the more amiable recent interactions with the Alutran nations, Higher Tar-dinuu is consistently hostile to any foreign interference in the Kidal Sea region.

Higher Tar-dinuu has mostly avoided intervening in affairs beyond the Kidal Sea region, as it has only been in a position where it could do so for a fairly short amount of time. The nation also generally does not want to disrupt the global economic status quo, because any disruption of global trade routes could potentially harm the Higher Tar-dinuuen economy.

Recently, Higher Tar-dinuu has experimented with being a more active player in geopolitics. So far, this has mostly meant sending direct financial aid to poorer nations to fund either public projects or neutralize security risks. These are not transactions or loans, as Higher Tar-dinuu does not typically ask for anything in return. The actions are likely instead for the purposes of expanding the nation’s sphere of influence by establishing sympathy to the nation in various governments.

The money that Higher Tar-dinuu has given to other nations has occasionally been traced to actions that eroded the civil liberties of citizens, though the Higher Tar-dinuuen government claims that this is not the country’s aim.

Military
Higher Tar-dinuu possesses a mid-sized military, which is not currently used in any international conflict. Most of the military is the Higher Tar-dinuuen Oceanic Guard, which is one of the world’s largest and most well funded ones. This organization is used to patrol the Kidal Sea for the purposes of enforcing the borders of marine protected areas, tracking and apprehending pirates and other criminals, guarding marine infrastructure, saving individuals lost at sea, and various other tasks.

The other segments of the military, such as a formal navy, are also maintained but not in use. An exception is a division of the army that patrols the borders with Lower Tar-dinuu, which is continually maintained.

Most military growth in Higher Tar-dinuu occurred during the Second World War. In this period, Higher Tar-dinuu rapidly swelled its military for the purposes of reconquering several islands in the Kidal Sea that had been colonized by Ordrey centuries prior. The nation also contributed to the Salian blockade in the straits of Kidal. Most of this growth was accomplished with aid from Salia, as at the time Higher Tar-dinuu was not wealthy enough to have a large modernized military.

A lesser period of military growth occurred during the Third World War. Higher Tar-dinuu attempted to avoid being involved in the war but still saw value in further expanding and modernizing its military in case it was forced to join. This did not require foreign age, as by this time Higher Tar-dinuu had grown wealthy enough to afford the necessary expenditures.

Following the end of World War III, the Tar-dinuuen Civil War, and the establishment of the World Forum, Higher Tar-dinuu has not spent a significant amount of resources on its military. However, recent actions by the Grand Assembly imply this situation may change in the future.

Demographics
Tar-dinuu was one of the earliest countries to conduct national censuses, with references to the first one recorded in 822 BCE. 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 Tar-dinuu in 50 CE. Even after the downfall of the ancient nation, several cities continued to run limited censuses. Unfortunately, the Nurvidki Plague and the unrest that followed led to an interruption of these projects. The government officials responsible for these were unwilling to visit the homes of the sick or the insurgent. 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 30,623,478. 61.81% of this population is concentrated in various urban areas, with the remaining 38.19% 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 (36.5%) and Kidal (36.2%), 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 !Neighbor (7.33%), Énqutsa (3.01%), and Osamian (2.2%) ethnic groups have a fairly significant presence throughout the country. The final major ethnic group in Higher Tar-dinuu are the various Sedic ethnic groups (8.3%). These peoples are the descendents of the various colonial powers that attempted to conquer the Kidal Sea, with the largest populations being of Ordrish descent.There is also a Salian and Myrish presence. Additionally, many Alutrans 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 other Tiridinian and Vidinian ethnicities.

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, at least with the indigenous ethnic groups. For example, many critics of Higher Tar-dinuu’s census state that the Dinuu are culturally divided into at least four separate subgroups: the Jurnuu, !InlandDinuu, !EasternDinuu, and !WesternDinuu. Additionally, the Kidal are divided into many separate sub-ethnicities, and many of the Kidal groups in the eastern parts of the Kidal Sea are closer in many ways to the Énqutsa than to the Kidal of the western Kidal Sea. However, overlooking these subethnicities was initially intentional. During the reign of Ridar the Unifier, the country 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 a sense of shared ties to the empire and several initiatives meant to erode the differences between local cultures, 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 pre-unification nations in the area in which Higher Tar-dinuu is located 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 66% stated they were fluent in both as of the 2020 census.

Dinuu is considered a direct evolution of the Proto-Dinuu language, spoken during the age of the empire of Tar-dinuu. In the years since the empire, it has seen considerable influence from the Kidal, !NeighborLanguage, and Vidinan languages. In the past, it was split into several unique dialects, but since the unification in 1329 they have mostly fused into a single language. Some linguists say that the version of the Dinuu language spoken predominantly in Tar-Jurnuu is a unique dialect, but this has remained controversial.

The Kidal language is made up of several distinct dialects, though the !WesternKidalian 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 dialect in their state. Due to the fact that the Kidal languages do not have their own script, all documents are written in the Dinuu script.

Some adlins also write official documents in Sedic languages, predominantly Ordrish, though this is only in areas that were colonized in the past. Similarly, the southernmost adlins of Higher Tar-dinuu write official documents in !NeighborLanguage. In the easternmost state in Higher Tar-dinuu, Énqutsa is used officially.

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 26% state they use the language relatively frequently.

Education
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 and their children 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 monthly payments from their students. 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 began attempting to educate the populace. She passed a series of reforms that allocated national resources to the schools and made them 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 system of education. 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 various building codes. Most schools utilize a model of education that emphasizes extensive lecturing by professors, balanced with individual student projects. Some school systems use the "Liberated School" model of Ordrey, though this is, for the most part, restricted to the former Ordrish colonies and some other islands in the Kidal Sea.

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 stop 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 to have one of the more robust social safety nets in the world, though some rural regions of the country have insufficient access to it due to poor infrastructure. 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, especially cardiovascular diseases.