Ryeva

Ryeva, formally the State of Ryeva is a republic in northern Levantia along the Nahe Sea. Bordered to the south by Yytuskia-Helvana and to the east by Culriocha, the nation is centered on the Nahe River and surrounding valley, its borders made up by natural features. The southern border is defined by the Toran Alps, which extends up to the eastern border, while the western border is defined by the Nahean Alps and the Baie River. Perhaps the most significant geographic feature is the long-disputed Dreisen River along the border of Culriocha, which has historically been one of the largest geopolitical flashpoints on the continent. Despite being surrounded by mountains and rivers, Ryeva's survival over previous centuries was as a result of the Ryeva Lowlands which includes some of the most fertile soil in the world, and for thousands of years transformed the region into a major producer of food and a center of trade.

Various tribes have inhabited the Ryeva Lowlands since antiquity, with the earliest evidence of habitation being found at a cave in Killoran at the edge of the Northern Hills. According to legend, the ancient region is named after Nahe, the son of Japheth and grandson of Noah. He and his wife, Brenna, namesake of the country's capital city, were according to the national mythology the progenitors of the Nahean people. In the story, Nahe and his brother Sares disputed the land handed down to them by their father. Angered by defeat in battle, Sares sided with an invader of Nahe's lands and disappeared. According to legend, Sares will return and exact his revenge on Nahe's descendants. In reality, the origins of the Naheans are recent, with Gaelic and Germanic tribes moving from the north and west through the Erren Valley to their homeland. These tribes later transformed into a series of principalities, kingdoms, and republics, often tied together by a loose system of alliances that lasted for over a thousand years.

The domination of the Gaelic and Germanic Nahean tribes came to an end in 874, when Ænglish refugees began to move into the former Nahe Lowlands. Called Ryevans, these people lost their homes in southern Levantia over the previous two centuries and now migrated north across The Vandarch on longboats. Some of these Ryevans integrated with local Naheans, but conflict began when the settlement Brenna was established along the Nahe River. Seen as a sign by the Naheans that the Ryevans had no plans to integrate into their society, Oadhan, a northern Gaelic chieftain, went to war against the Ryevans. A young knight named Allyn Yaveling took charge over Brenna's defenses, and at the Siege of Brenna in 885, he successfully defended his people and repelled the attackers. Yaveling became the chieftain of the Ryevans and spent the next fifty years defeating the Gaelic and Germanic tribes across Nahe. On October 25, 933, the last Gaelic tribes were defeated and the Kingdom of Ryeva was proclaimed. Allyn Yaveling became the first King of Ryeva and offered lands for the defeated Gaelic and Germanic peoples to settle. Some were loyal to Yaveling and accepted the offer, but most fled east, vowing one day to return to their home.

Over the following centuries, the Ryevan population continued to grow and displace the Naheans that remained. After the Northmen invaded Ryeva from 1066 to 1069 before being defeated in battle, the Naheans began centuries of rebellions against the Ryevans and Yavelings. Theodore I Yaveling attempted to establish a permanent peace between the Ryevans and Naheans, first by marrying a Gaelic chieftain's daughter, and by granting a city charter to Vorsenke in 1273. These efforts began the Long Peace that lasted until 1359, but when David II Yaveling was killed by a Gaelic cousin, this sparked the Nahe Wars, which lasted close to two centuries. What remained of the Gaelic and Germanic peoples was destroyed. With the rebelling Germanic Naheans outright exterminated, the remaining Gaelic Naheans were isolated to the eastern march of Ryeva or the far north. The final victory in 1526 saw the Yavelings reach their height, but the Pax Yaveling that followed lasted only for a short period of time. From 1526 to 1620, the Ryevan Reformation took place. Multiple Ryevan priests and preachers felt alienated by the Catholic Church and went to the Yavelings to encourage reforms within their realm. Protestants had all been wiped out across Levantia, and many thinkers managed to escape to Meredune, the home of the Meredune Monastery. When the Yavelings refused to engage in any reforms, the Church of Meredune was established. The Ryeva Civil War was ignited when several noble families joined this new church. The Yavelings initially were victorious, but the remaining Germanic and Gaelic Naheans still in Ryeva joined the effort, and in 1626, Richard III Yaveling was killed at the Battle of Salford. The new King of Ryeva, John II Alarie was crowned following the Second Interregnum on December 25, 1627, and established the Church of Ryeva.

Following the chaos of the 1620s, Ryeva under the Alarie family became more outward-looking. With a half-Northman ruler, Sonnay became the winter capital of Ryeva and their importance was heightened as the home for the Ryeva Navy. Multiple attempts were made to settle parts of Crona throughout the rest of the century, while wars were fought with Culriocha, expanding the nation's eastern territories. From 1669 to 1673 the Ryevans and Culriochans fought the Four Years War over the fate of the Ryevan Marches and the War of Culriochan Succession from 1747 to 1750 saw the Peace of Sottevast that established Ryeva's borders for the next two centuries. In 1766, the new King of Ryeva, Theodore IV Alarie began the Pax Ryeva that lasted until 1916. Ryeva's heartland saw unprecedented wealth as new industrial towns like Sontenburg, Rascha, and Dunarrow surpassed older towns like Erren and Northampton, while Meredune, Brenna, and Vorsenke shrank in industrial importance. Industries such as mining and manufacturing increased fiftyfold during this time, and the population almost doubled. The Peace of Sottevast held as well, at least until the beginning of the Great War for Ryeva in 1916. That year, Ryeva was invaded by Culriocha, which sought to reclaim the Ryevan Marches. They were successful, and the Treaty of Lindsey saw Ryeva's modern borders established, and the appearance of the Subvisions of Ryeva established. The monarchy of Culriocha was overthrown in 1922, and in 1923,