Quetzenkel

The Kingdom of Quetzenkel is a country in Crona. Formed out of the eastern half of the Archchiefdom of Quetzenkel in the wake of its civil war (the other half becoming Cetsencalia), the country sits at the crossroads, both culturally and economically, between Crona, Varshan, the sphere of Daxia and the Occidental world. The relative diversity of the country's neighbors and trading partners has created a vibrant cultural revival during the 21st century. Although wartorn, the country's economy is redeveloping and is expected to flourish given its strong trade and investment relations with Levantia.

Quetzenkel is a member of the Nysdra Sea Treaty Association.

Etymology
The native name for the country, Quet'zen'kaal, means "land of the naked sky" in the ancient ancestors of the Quetzeni language. Scholars have debated the term, but archaeologists and geneticists have discovered conclusive evidence that the much of Quetzenkel's population is descended from migrants originating in Venua'tino. Consequently, Quetzenkel's position south of the arctic circle - combined with its unusually low amount of cloud cover during the year - is thought to be the origin of the country's name.

Geography
Quetzenkel sits at the southern end of the Sea of Nysdra, partially surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges of various height and expansiveness - these ranges also extend into Cetsencalia, Varshan, and Xisheng, respectively. Close to the northern shore of the country sits badlands covered in cavernous, rocky hills which have been used for guerrilla activities by various groups for centuries. At the center of the country sits the Bay of Aliʻikiʻe, or High King; this bay, off the Sea of Nysdra, was the primary trade and communication route through the country before the modern era. Through today, it remains a vital transportation corridor, especially for seaborne goods coming from Levantia or elsewhere. The bay is so-called due to the primacy of its political significance prior to the modern era; control over the whole bay would afford any chief effective domination over any of the other proto-Quetzeni tribes. At the southern tip of the bay sits Akwesasne, the nation's capital city, at a natural and calm harbor. The entry to the Bay of Aliʻikiʻe is through the Akau (or northern) Channel, a relatively narrow strip of water sitting between Quetzeni and Xisheng territory. Access to the bay is strictly enforced by Urcean, Quetzeni, and Daxian authorities and governed by a series of treaties. To the southeast of Akwesasne sits Okapu'u, or "Lake of Dreams", a large freshwater lake responsible for the irrigation of a large portion of Quetzenkel's arable land; Okapu'u flows into the Aliʻikiʻe northeast of Akwesasne, and several aqueducts have been constructed throughout the ages to bring fresh water to the capital.

Early history
Traditional Quetzeni histories suggest that Quetzenkel has existed for a hundred thousand generations, but modern scholarship suggests that permanent human settlement in the Kingdom began in the late 6000s BC, and that the ancestors of the modern Quetzeni migrated to the land in the 900s BC. Changing climatological conditions and the rise of rudimentary agricultural technology lead to the need for some groups to migrate south from Venua'tino, much of which sits above the arctic circle. The means by which the proto-Quetzeni migrated to the country is heavily debated by scholars and archaeologists; the "over-seas" theory of migration was popular until the 1950s when a "long-land" migration path was supported by then-new archaeological evidence. Since the 1990s, however, a growing consensus has suggested that there were two groups, one which came by land and the other sea, and that these two groups intermingled to form a united proto-Quetzeni people and identity.

Like its neighboring countries, Quetzenkel did not quickly consolidate into a centralized society; rather, it remained in a state of dozens of fractured tribes and over-tribes, often with shifting loyalties and ever-changing territories due to constant migration in addition to a few major maritime city-states who dominated Venua'tino during the medieval and renaissance periods. This early state continued through the permanent discovery of Quetzenkel by the Occidental world in the 15th century. The trade with the Occident lead to increased violence between the tribes as new technology, as well as the horse, entered use. During the warring tribes period, Occidental nations began to write of the first "Kings of Quetzenkel", though these individuals were more akin to paramount chiefs, who were often temporary under the ever-changing dynamic of the warring tribe period.

Establishment of a Quetzen state
In 1639, a man named Ahonui assumed control of the Nohealani tribe, becoming paramount chief of Quetzenkel by virtue of his predecessor's large army. The army, which survived the succession, was reformed by Ahonui under the guidance of Occidental advisers. Ahonui then struck a bargain with several states of the distant Holy Levantine Empire, promising trade rights and outposts in exchange for a large influx of weapons and capital in the form of gold. By 1645, Ahonui had agreements in hand from fourteen Levantine states and waged total war on the other tribes of Quetzenkel in order to unite the country under his rule. As he conquered the coastal cities, the traditional Quetzen thalassocracy which had exercised power in Venua'tino was destroyed, opening the door for Varshan to exhibit greater influence there and throughout the Nysdra Sea. By force of arms and additionally by using the threat of Varshan, Ahonui succeeded by 1650. He wiped away the old over-tribal system by reforming his Nohealani tribe to establish one over-tribe, the Quetzeni. Ahonui assumed a title best translated as Archchief, and he took the new name Quetzen. Archchief Quetzen maintained the ancient succession system of the Nohealani, as each successive chief only ruled until a designated son, nephew, or cousin, reached a certain age, typically 20. Quetzen ruled until 1653, handing power over to his nephew Archchief Quetzen II.

The traditional Nohealani succession system required a designated heir in consultation with tribal councils, leading to consistent political instability. Archchief Quetzen XV in 1801 decreed Occidental-style primogeniture succession. Quetzen XV died during the conflict, but his son, Honau III, successfully won the civil war and ensured the survival of the primogeniture reform, though the traditional succession system would remain an important minority political position from that point onward. As a concession, Honau replaced the Nohealani-only tribal council with the All-Tribal Assembly in 1813, with representatives from each of the former 25 over-tribes in a system similar to the Great Landsmeet in Urcea. The All-Tribal Assembly has convened every year since, typically meeting from June to October. The system put in place in the early 19th century provided nearly two centuries of political stability in Quetzenkel, ushering in a period of economic growth which elevated Quetzenkel's GDP per capita to that roughly equaling Varshan. In 1937, as the Occidental powers fought the Great War, Quetzenkel closed all of its treaty ports agreed to by Quetzen I in the 1640s, ending almost 300 years of economic exploitation at the hands of the Occident. Quetzenkel later signed treaties with the Occident following the end of the war ensuring that the Occidental powers would not return to open the ports.

20th century
Following decades of peace in the 20th century, concerns around the Occidental world once again intervening around the Nysdra in the years immediately preceding The Deluge led Quetzenkel and many other states to begin considering modernization and rearmament. To this end, Quetzenkel agreed to allow Veltorine people to settle in some of the less populated parts of Western Quetzenkel in exchange for technical expertise with respect to military and industrial goods. Their expertise allowed Quetzenkel to construct a relatively modern military by 1990, though efforts to maintain it were not taken as it was thought the Occidental danger had passed.

Varshan gradient
With the collapse of the long ruling Yun-harle dynasty, Varshan's northernmost province of Brudxaan entered rebellion in 1958. With support from Daxia, Quetzenkel annexed the rebellious province of Brudxaan, modern New Veltorina, in 1962. This move met with the support of most international powers, establishing a so-called "Varshan gradient" which separated Cao and Occidental possessions in Cusinaut from Varshan. It also had the effect of collapsing the centuries old Polar Captaincy in Venua'tino. The region was also partly settled with newly arrived Veltorines.

For the remainder of the 20th century, administration of the Brudxaan province became one of the leading political issues in Quetzenkel. Although its people were ethnically similar to the majority Quetzen population, centuries of Varshani rule had introduced many cultural innovations, including Orthodox Arzalism, that made integration of the territory difficult. Additionally, most local socio-political authority had been deliberately destroyed by the Varshani authorities, creating a legitimacy problem in attempting to create a new local social hierarchy. By 1993, the Quetzen government decided to resettle local peoples and to clear land for ethnic and cultural Quetzens to settle in the former Brudxaan area, a move which met with international condemnation. In addition to their own people, the Quetzen government resorted to use of the local Veltorines to establish a new urban elite or to otherwise handle local public administration. By the turn of the 21st century, Veltorines were significant ingrained in the economic, political, and social leadership of western Quetzenkel.

21st century
In the early 2000s, Quetzenkel was ruled by Archchief Honau V, who advised national caution and good relations with the Occident, particularly Urcea, in order to ensure Quetzeni independence. Consequently, Quetzenkel did not intervene in the War of the Northern Confederation and quickly recognized the new neighboring Kingdom of New Harren. Increasing Occidental intervention lead to the rise of radical traditionalists within Quetzenkel, who not only called for an armed resistance to the Occident but also for the abdication of Honau V in favor of the traditional Nohealani succession system. Honau refused and the nation descended into political disorder, but was without violence until Honau's assassination in 2013. Honau's great nephew ascended as Archchief Quetzen XXIII in 2013, and he quickly implemented martial law in an attempt to stabilize the country, beginning the South Nysdra War. As part of the traditionalists' efforts, Veltorine people suddenly had their rights and privileges suddenly curtailed in response to the Occidental threats resulting from The Deluge, leading to them launching an uprising. The thinly spread Quetzeni military could not effectively contain the many internal threats, though they were effective in head-to-head confrontations. Despite the ongoing conflict and uprising in the West, Quetzen decided not to spare additional military forces as he believed doing so would lead to revolution as the military pulled out. Archchief Quetzen was suddenly assassinated by a Veltorine assassin, throwing the country into further chaos.

The death of the young and childless Quetzen XXIII threw the succession into turmoil, and effective organized military resistance to the Veltorine rebels ceased as factions within the military began to fight for control of the country. The Veltorines established control over most of Western Quetzenkel beyond their traditional footprint, beginning a bloody ethnic war between locals and the Veltorines. The conflict in the west lead to many refugees flowing into eastern Quetzenkel. The temporary military government established in 2014 collapsed under the weight of the refugee crisis, worsening the civil war that would last until 2016 between several claimants for the Archchiefdom. The civil war would largely take the form of traditionalists on one hand, lead by claimant Achak III, and the so-called "internationalists", lead by claimant Quetzen XXIV, who claimed to be Quetzen XXIII's nephew. A temporary truce was established during the Urcean seizure of Cetsencalia to contemplate how Quetzenkel should respond, but the so-called "Truce Congress" quickly fell apart in October 2015 and fighting resumed.

Throughout 2015, Urcea's intention to intervene in Quetzenkel was halted by objections to Varshan, with which Urcea sought to avoid war. Negotiations stretched through the year, as Varshan feared that a Urcean-aligned Quetzenkel would give the Occidental powers a "back door" entryway into Varshan, significantly weakening its ability to defend itself. Both sides reached an impasse, though Varshan was waiting to see the result of the 2015 Urcean Concilium Daoni election, which decisively returned a pro-intervention majority. The impasse would soon be broken, as Varshan was willing to cede Quetzenkel over to Urcean influence provided that Varshan retained some influence in the country as well. In late 2015 and early 2016, a Catholic Varshani entrepreneur and noble named Telucti Cheveyo launched a public relations campaign which included a peer-reviewed study of his own ancestry, which conclusively proved descent from Archchief Quetzen I. Cheveyo, sporting deep connections in Varshan and Urceopolis, claimed that his heritage and unique financial position gave him a "a sincere patrimonial and financial interest in the wellbeing of the Quetzenkeli state". Cheveyo's candidacy to rule Quetzenkel lead to accord between Varshan and Urcea. In mid 2016, Quicksilver Industries-armed and trained forces crossed from Varshan into Quetzenkel under Cheveyo's leadership, calling themselves the "Legitimists". In order to halt his advance, the internationalists and traditionalists agreed to form the National Unity Front in order to halt the advance of Cheveyo. The Legitimists, supported by Urcea's Royal Air Force captured Akwesasne by the beginning of September 2016, and by the end of the month the National Unity Front was effectively broken, allowing Cheveyo to form a Provisional Government. The Royal and Imperial Army was soon given permission to construct bases on the coast of the Nysdra, solidifying Urcea's presence in the country.

Kingdom of Quetzenkel
After having received permission from the Pope, in the middle of October, it was announced that Telucti Cheveyo would be crowned the King of Quetzenkel. Cheveyo's coronation in the relatively small mission church in Akwesasne, now dubbed the Cathedral of St. John of the Cross, was overseen by King Riordan VIII of Urcea. Crowned King Telucti I of Quetzenkel, the new King controversially did homage to Riordan as Emperor of the Levantines, sparking debate in international circles of the degree of independence Quetzenkel should be regarded with. Following the establishment of the Kingdom, Cheveyo began a Christianization program, inviting missionaries from Levantia, and also began rigorous infrastructure construction and repair programs using aid money from Urcea. Advised by experts from Levantia, King Telucti I began a top-to-bottom legal and political reform of the country in order to bring its governing apparatus more in line with the nations of Sarpedon and Levantia. He also began a partial liberalization of the economy, reducing former guild privileges and barriers to trade.

Quetzenkel was invaded by Varshan as part of the Final War of the Deluge, but King Telucti's reforms and support of other NSTA members lead to a largely successful defense of the country especially due to the Varshani prioritization of the Invasion of Cetsencalia. Urcea's Royal and Imperial Army joined the Quetzeni Royal Defense Force in repelling the Varshani invasion during the Quetzenkel front, and subsequently used the country as a main avenue of invasion in the lead up to the Fall of Anzo. In March 2024, the eastern half of former Cetsencalia was returned to Quetzenkel by the Veltorine Popular Defense Committee under Urcean pressure and in exchange for recognition of Veltorine gains in Varshan. Quetzenkel was also awarded additional territories from Varshan at the conclusion of the war, both because some lands were predominantly Quetzen-speaking but also to create an additional defensive buffer against future Varshani aggression.

The end of the war saw significant economic investment flow into the country, as foreign investors saw the victorious Quetzenkel as a safe and reliable investment. In 2016, the GDP PC had sat at $4,001, one of the poorest places in the world; by 2030, this had grown to $16,189, representing a nearly 11% annual GDP growth. By 2026, as the economy was growing and the military crisis had passed, Telucti began to step back and allow the elected leaders of the country to operate within the established constitutional framework.

The Kingdom's territorial expansion between 2016 and 2024, combined with significant economic progress, had the practical effect of improving the legitimacy and popularity of Telucti's regime. Beyond a core group of supporters, the majority of the Quetzen public believed Telucti to be a "well meaning Occidental puppet" in opinion polling conducted in July 2020 and overwhelmingly said the country was on the "wrong track". In July 2032 meanwhile, the King's approval rating sat at 72% and two-thirds of Quetzens responded that the country was "on the right track", with 79% responding that the country was in a "better" or "much better" position than it was two decades previously.

Government
Quetzenkel is a constitutional monarchy, constructed in a somewhat similar fashion to that of the Government of Urcea. Per the Constitution of 2016, the King of Quetzenkel is to normally refrain from involvement in the day-to-day affairs of the Kingdom except in periods of national emergency, in which case the King is to act as chief executive with some limitations on his authority; such an emergency state has existed since the issuance of the Constitution. The Kingdom's laws are created by the Royal Legislature, which is comprised of an upper chamber - the All-Tribal Assembly - and a lower chamber, the National Assembly. The All-Tribal Assembly has retained its historical role within the Kingdom, regulating the relations between the various tribal kinship groups within the Kingdom, as it has since 1813. The All-Tribal Assembly features equal representation of the 25 over-tribes of the Kingdom, and it holds relatively limited legislative authority, approving changes to the Tribal Law and approving trade and migration agreements with Quetzenkel's neighbors, similar to the Gildertach in Urcea. Unlike the Gildertach, the All-Tribal Council retains its traditional role as the court of final appeal, making it the de facto head of the judicial branch within the Kingdom. The National Assembly, the lower chamber, is the primary legislative body. The National Assembly is comprised of partisan members who vote to elect a Chancellor, who serves as the head of government.

Since the establishment of the Kingdom and separation of its western half, Quetzenkel has been divided into eight departments and the "Royal District" surrounding the capital city of Akwesasne. Prior to the establishment of the Kingdom, Quetzenkel was divided into forty-five Lesser Chiefdoms; these are still reflected in the titles of the King of Quetzenkel as "Lord of the Forty Five".

Linguistic Demographics
The majority of people in Quetzenkel speak Quetzeni, a language native to the country. There was no one Quetzeni language prior to the 19th century; the reforms that created primogeniture and the All-Tribal Assembly necessitated the formation of a single language. The process of unifying the various dialects into a mutually-recognizable language was not complete until 1850 after years of work, and it took decades more for the so-called All-Tribal language to enter common parlance, though it finally came into common and official use by the 1910s. Some non-conforming dialects remain in use, especially in rural parts of the country. In the southern third of the country, Hieratic Varshani is the majority language due to the proximity and demographic dominance of Varshani individuals near the border. Efforts to bring the Varshani language - which is similar and related to Quetzeni - into the All-Tribal language were proposed and failed at multiple times during the 20th century, partly due to an unwillingness for the Varshani to abandon their heritage.

Religious Demographics
The majority religion in Quetzenkel is M'acunism, though the official religion of the Kingdom is Catholicism, which occupies a sizable minority place in the country. The indigenous M'acunist faith saw multiple attempts for unification, standardization, and reform, but unlike the matter of language, reform to the religion could not be agreed upon. The inconsistencies between regional varieties - and continued debates regarding the issue of Kānenaka - lead to successful missionary efforts in the northern, coastal parts of the country during the era of the treaty ports. Some cultural observers have placed the native Quetzeni varieties of M'acunism on an "endangered indigenous traditions" list, and some have begun to flock to Quetzenkel to record the local traditions and faiths of the indigenous people for historical record. Catholicism is the majority religion in some northern coastal enclaves, especially the former treaty ports which have large populations. During the Second Great War, there was an effort to simultaneously reform the indigenous faith and stamp out Catholicism by integrating it into a national reformed syncretic faith, but this effort lead to revolts in the northern parts of the country and the effort was abandoned. In the southern part of the country - and especially territories taken from Varshan - Arzalism is the majority faith, owing not only to the Varshani population there but also to local converts away from the M'acunist faith. As human sacrifice is illegal in Quetzenkel, and has been for as long as the country has existed, the Arzalists were traditionally required to perform "blood pilgrimages" south to Varshan in order to practice their sacrifices. Following the Final War of the Deluge, Orthodox Arzalism is banned in the country. Most of the Arzalists in the country, as of 2033, professed to either believe in State Arzalism or other variants of Arzalism. Cultural observers have noted a large delegitimization of Arzalism in Quetzen life, and some project that the Arzalist minority in the country will likely transition to Catholicism or irreligion within two generations.

Economy
Quetzenkel is a primarily rural country consisting mostly of subsistence farming, with a handful of large urban areas. About 60.5% of Quetzeni live below the recognized national poverty line, with rural poverty rates standing at about 77.9% and urban rates at about 27.5%. Unemployment and underemployment in urban areas are serious problems. Since the establishment of the Kingdom, the construction and service sectors of the economy have grown substantially; many foreign engineers have moved into the Kingdom's cities requiring an entirely new economic apparatus to support them. Quetzenkel's economy is primarily reliant on foreign aid from Urcea, which is used to fund the myriad of infrastructure programs that began in 2016. Consequently, many rural farmers are moving to urban areas to take advantage of the construction projects, a phenomenon which many analysts have indicated is making the urban underemployment problem worse. A small mining sector exists in Quetzenkel, though there is considerable potential for its expansion as prospectors from Levantia are seeking deposits of uranium and other valuable materials, like those found in New Harren.

Given its problems, current level of development, and its ongoing recovery from years of brutal civil war, Quetzenkel is considered a developing economy, one whose growth is nearly entirely reliant on trade with the Occidental world. King Telucti's various economic policies are aimed at developing some kind of profitable economic or industrial base in the nation, and some analysts have considered Quetzenkel a "top ten growth candidate" for the 2040s, given Urcea's investment within the country.

Military
The Constitution of 2016 provides that Quetzenkel may "create for itself a force devoted to national defense" and that said defense forces "may not participate in actions of a military nature outside of Quetzenkel except for under the joint command of allied efforts", which primarily includes joint efforts under the Nysdra Sea Treaty Association. The Quetzeni Royal Defense Force (QRDF) serves as Quetzenkel's national military under these provisions, and the mission of the QRDF is centered upon the defense of Quetzenkel, both in a traditional military sense but also in the capacity of border security. The QRDF, as of March 2017, has 250,000 enlisted soldiers spread throughout three branches. Due to its size, Quetzenkel is the only Cronan nation nation in NSTA with independent military operation in the event of war, and the only nation not part of the Defense Coordination Initiative. During the Final War of the Deluge, the QRDF saw extensive fighting and had the distinction of being the only Cronan NSTA member to defeat Varshani ground forces in an engagement that did not have the participation of the Urcean Royal and Imperial Army.

The structure of the Quetzeni Royal Defense Force's military hierarchy largely emulates that of the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea. Like in Urcea, the QRDF is cabinet-controlled, and the Chancellor - in consultation with the King of Quetzenkel - is responsible for making decisions for the deployment and use of the QRDF. Like Urcea, the QRDF is divided into three primary branches:


 * Domestic Terrestrial Defense Corps (DTDC), which serves as the Army of Quetzenkel
 * Territorial Waters Patrol Fleet (TWPF), which serves as the nation's Navy
 * Domestic Aerial Security Force (DASF), which serves as the nation's Air Force

Quetzenkel is the only Cronan member of NSTA which does not participate in the Nysdra Sea Guard. The Territorial Waters Patrol Fleet has begun to rapidly expand since the end of the Final War of the Deluge.