The Democratic Republic of Syrillia is a colossal, socially progressive nation, ruled by Supreme Councilor with a fair hand, and renowned for its keen interest in outer space. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 8.994 billion hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, liberal government stops and the rest of society begins, but it concentrates mainly on Education, although Defence and the Environment are on the agenda. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Fortitude. The average income tax rate is 65%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Book Publishing industry, followed by Tourism and Gambling.

History

Ancient Syrylia

The first human presence in modern-day Syrillia began when nomadic tribes settled in the area around 4,200 B.C. By 800 B.C., most tribes had formed distinct settlements and languages. Many eastern tribes continued to rely on nomadic hunting, as strong winds in the eastern hills region made ancient farming techniques ineffective and generally unreliable. Western coastal tribes developed semi-nomadic lifestyles, relying on established fishing camps along the coast for sustenance.

Emergence of the Syrillian Proto-Nations

The two nomadic eastern tribes eventually developed into the Hyrite Chiefdom, a loose coalition of two tribes, united by a system of rotating leadership between the two tribes. With an end to competition and warfare between the two tribes, Hyrite was able to expand its territory, moving far into the eastern hills, and conducting frequent raids into farming communities to the west.

The western fishing tribes developed a singular culture, and by 700 B.C. had emerged as the Kylia Kingdom. Kylia made several important developments in food-storage, salting, and ship-building techniques, and was able to establish a vast trading empire and effectively dominated the seas.

In the north and throughout the rest of the heart of modern-day Syrillia, farming culture dominated. The Syric tribes that moved into those regions slowly settled into dozens of small communities over a large area, and began to domesticate cattle and grow crops. These communities were largely independent of one another, and trade among them was rare. However, by 800 B.C., raids from the Hyrites increased in frequency, prompting the tribes to organize for mutual defense. Also around that time, trade with Kylia began to boom. The Kylians required beef in order to salt and store for sea travel, while the Syric tribes were in need of salt and various fruits from across the sea. Thus, violence between the Kylian Kingdom and the Syric villages were rare, and communication among the Syric villages increased, as trade with Kylia resulted in more infrastructure and united Syric representation in trade negotiations.

The Syric-Hyrite Wars (INSERT PIC)

As the Kylian Kingdom and the Syric villages focused on developing trade and infrastructure, Hyrite engaged in frequent raids into those territories, with increasing violence. On the western frontier, Hyrite came into contact with other emerging nations, and turned from raiding to conquest. The premature death of one of the two chieftains of the Hyrites resulted in a bloody civil war that lasted from 844 B.C. to 749 B.C. At its conclusion, the Hyrites found themselves losing territories in the far west. In order to counter the western threat, the Hyrites turned to the east, where they hoped the rich Syric farmland, and Kylian food preservation techniques, could aid the chiefdom in regaining its lost western lands.

In 686 B.C., the Hyrites launched a devastating raid on the southern Syric villages, resulting in thousands of deaths. One of the surviving Syric warriors, Yryla led a small band of guerrilla fighters to resist the invading Hyrites. The Hyrites, accustomed to open warfare on horseback, were unprepared for the challenges of occupation. The purpose of the invasion, aside from territorial gain, was to provide a source of food and other resources for a prolonged war in the west. To that end, it was necessary to maintain strict control over the local population and avoid casualties. The Hyrites, trained in raids, quick attacks, and a nomadic lifestyle, simply could not maintain effective control over the Syric population for long.

Yryla's Band continued to fight the Hyrites in the south by engaging in scorched-earth tactics and by setting various traps along the roads in order to slow the Hyrite horses. Yryla's Band moved quickly through forests, where Hyrite horses could not follow. On foot, Hyrite soldiers, while well-trained in open battle, had a serious disadvantage. This meant that even as the Hyrite horde moved north, it was unable to secure the south or a reliable food source. Many central and northern Syric villages agreed to become vassals of the Hyrite Chieftain, but as Yryla's Band grew to legendary status, most villages resisted the invasion.

The war disrupted the Kylian Kingdom's supply of beef, which negatively impacted its trade and colonization efforts. Yryla, opposed to foreign intervention in Syric lands, refused to coordinate with Kylian forces that entered southern Syric territory. However, leaders of northern villages, fearful of the Hyrites, gladly accepted aid from the Kylians in the form of food, weapons, and ships. With the combined efforts of the Kylian forces, the northern Syric militias, and Yryla's Band, the Hyrites were largely expelled from Syric territory by 662 B.C.

Challenged on all sides, the Hyrite Chiefdom collapsed. It reverted back to its original state as two closely related tribes. The tribes continued to battle the emerging nations in the west, the Syric villages to the east, and each other until 328 B.C., when one tribe overtook the other and made peace with the surrounding nations.

The Formation of Syrylia

Following his victory over the Hyrites, Yryla was hailed as a hero. His Band of warriors was dispatched to secure the southern and central Syric villages, and Yryla personally oversaw the reconstruction of the southern villages. He claimed the non-village territories that had been destroyed during the war, and he selected his soldiers to take on leadership roles in the villages under his control. Leaders in the north were wary of the power that Yryla held in the south, and Kylia was eager to keep the Syrics weak and dependent on Kylian trade. The Kylian king called for a meeting with Yryla and the northern village elders. Yryla refused to attend, and the king welcomed the elders as his personal vassals.

Facing a potential conflict with the northern leaders, Yryla called his Band to arms. Rather than fight, Yryla dispatched his forces to the borders of his southern and central territories, and prevented any food exports. Faced with an experienced fighting force at his borders, the Kylian king relented, and withdrew support for the northern village elders. Without military backing, Yryla marched to the northern coast without opposition. He reached the coast with his three sons and top generals in 643 B.C. In order to satisfy the Kylian king, and cement his status in the north, Yryla founded the Grand City of Altyra in 640 B.C. The city became the headquarters for Yryla's Band, and quickly became a major shipping port.

The aging Yryla then proclaimed the creation of the Syric Hold, which was essentially the first definition of the Syric people as an independent nation. As Yryla favored landowners over village elders, decisions in the Hold were decided by the Advisory. The Advisory was a panel of large landowners, who were able to give consent for trade arrangements with Kylia. All other decisions were left to the military, with Yryla's Band at its core. As the leader of the Band and the owner of most of the southern and central territories, Yryla held de facto power over the entire Hold. Yryla the Great died in 634 B.C. His eldest son inherited control of Yryla's territory, though his second son held sway over the Band. The third son acted as a power-broker in order to avoid bloodshed, and it was decided that control over the Hold and the Band would be merged and granted to the eldest son, with the second and third to be named as his heirs. Thus, the eldest son was proclaimed Altoran, the Hold-Lord, in 635 B.C.

Altoran the Eldest was killed in an attempted coup by a group of original members of Yryla's Band, and Yryla's second son inherited power as Memerys the Middle in 624 B.C. Memerys was unable to maintain control of the Hold, and met a fate similar to that of his older brother. Power then shifted to Yryan the Youngest in 623 B.C. Unwilling to become another casualty, Yryan executed all living members of the original Band, while awarding territory and special honors to the descendants of those individuals. Yryan ordered that the Band be dissolved, replaced by the Syric Guard. These changes seemed to be effective, as Yryan managed to continue as Hold-Lord until his death in 598 B.C. He was succeeded by the son of Altoran, who took the title Altoran II and continued as Hold-Lord until his death. Altoran II left his territories to his four sons in equal shares, which created a political crisis in the Syric Hold. No one person held a majority of territories, nor did any of Altoran II's sons hold much sway over the military, which still officially held power over non-economic matters. The stalemate lasted for over a decade, when the Syric Guard arrested the three younger sons and installed Altoran III as Hold-Lord in 584 B.C. The two youngest sons were executed, but the third was kept in prison, to be held until Altoran III produced an heir. However, Altoran III quickly fell out of favor with the military, as he sought to forge a lasting peace with the Hyrites, which would have largely eliminated the need for the Syric Guard. Altoran III was deposed in 579 B.C., and was replaced by his younger brother, who took the name Tylium I and began his rule at the age of 26.

Tylium I quickly formed alliances with second-tier military officers, who swore allegiance to him. Tylium I then brought the top generals of the Syric Guard before him to stand trial for imprisoning him. The resulting convictions were used to strip the remainder of the military's power in the Advisory. Tylium I relied on the support of the landowners to make such a move, and the Advisory was transformed into the Grand Council. The descendants of the original Band were given inheritable positions in the new Eternal Council, which was established to approve the succession of future Hold-Lord. Finally, Tylium I proclaimed the end of the Syric Hold and the beginning of the Kingdom of Syrylia, in 569 B.C. He retained the title of Hold-Lord, but also styled himself as King Tylium I. Upon his death in 507 B.C., he became known as Tylium the Reformer.

The Century War (INCLUDE PIC)

War between Kylia, Syrylia, the two western tribes, and one southern power. Describe it. Lasts until 328 b.c.

After the defeat of the Hyrite Chiefdom in the Syric-Hyrite Wars, the nation split into two large groups. In the north, the ethnic Syrmerysians immediately sent its forces back to the western front, while engaging in negotiations with the Syric Hold to provide food in exchange for goods from across the western hills. In the south, the Dryrs continued to engage in minor border skirmishes with the Hold and with Kylia. Peace between the Syrmersyians and the Dryrs was tenuous at best.

In 436 B.C., Syrylia and the Syrmerysia formed a pact, allowing for mutual defense and enhanced trade relations. The Dryrs immediately launched an invasion into Syrmerysian territory, allying themselves with the Byzuarian Empire to the west. With enemies on the west and south, the Syrmersyian nomadic tribes were easily overwhelmed and scattered. The combined Dryr-Byzuarian forces, in a shaky alliance, managed to cross into Syrylia, and the Kylian Kingdom sent troops to aid in the defense.

Over the course of the next seventy years, the two sides were at a stalemate. Kylia and Syrylia managed to keep the Dryr horsemen and Byzuarian warriors at bay, while bands of Syrmersyians roamed the western hills, attempting to intercept any reinforcements that Byzuaria attempted to send to the region. The stalemate ended when the last major Syrmersyian stronghold was conquered by Byzuaria in 366 B.C., and when King Jeron II of Syrylia officially capitulated to the Byzuarian Empire. A Byzuarian princess was sent to Syrylia, and the Queen of Syrylia was executed. With King Jeron's marriage to the princess, Syrylia was officially absorbed into the Byzuarian Empire. King Jeron II was henceforth known as Jeron the Broken.

Black Era

Red Era

Re-Birth

Pre-Modern Syrillia

Modern Syrillia

Governance

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International Affairs

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Geography

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