Sotsial
Sotsial, officially the Territory of Sotsial is an overseas incorporated territory of the United Republic, located in the Shauku Archipelago northeast of mainland Audonia bordering Burgoignesc Iles Evangeline to the north.
| Territory of Sotsial そうシアル | |
Flag | |
| Country | United Republic |
| Capital |
Anjiro |
| Largest City |
Anjiro |
| Population | TBA |
| Governor | TBA |
| Legislature | TBA |
| Official languages | Alstinian Ænglish, Shaukuese |
| Recognised languages | |
| Postal Abbreviation | SO |
| Time Zone | |
Geography
Sotsial is situated at the southern edge of the Shauku Archipelago, surrounded on three sides by the Sea of Capelan, the Sea of St. John, and the Great Expanse, and shares a land border with Burgoigensc Iles Evangeline, as well as a maritime border with Oyashima. Its climate is characterized as being amix tropical wet and tropical dry, similar to much of the neighboring Iles Evangeline.
History
Early Oyashima settlement
The oldest evidence of human existence on the Shauku Islands is from the Stone Age and was discovered in Todajima and Buntaro. Some human bone fragments thought to be from the Paleolithic era were unearthed from a site in Todajima, but the artifact was lost in transportation before it was examined. Early Oyashima influences dating back to 200 BC are dominant on the Shauku Islands, although clay vessels on found there have a commonality with those in Metzetta.
The first mention of the word Sotsial was written in official Chen dynasty documents detailing a then-recent tribute mission returning from the island. Beginning in the 9th century, independent agricultural societies on the islands slowly developed until the 12th century, at which point the islands came under the suzerainty of the Matsumori dynasty. During the Toshimochi dynasty, Sotsial would come under nominal rule of the Oyashimese, but would become de-facto independent during the Sengoku Jidai and the subsequent Sea Lords-Daimyo Wars.
Burgoignesc colonial rule
Main article: Oyashima#Early_modern_era
The Far East Colony was established by the Ularien Trading Company in 1638 to put pressure on the northern flank of the Myanga Ayil Khanate. The original colonial effort was a series of military outposts in the lands of the various factions along the border of the Myanga Ayil Khanate from where they made incursions. Using their diplomatic prowess, the colonial administrators gained more and more land through protectorates, doctrine of lapse, buying titles and bribing officials as they worked their way inland.
In 1817, facing financial difficulties at home and a series of peasant rebellions that decimated the profitability of the spice trade in the colonies, the Duchy of Marialanus sold the Far East Colony back to Oyashima.
Varshan conquest and rule
Following the abandonment of the Far East Colony in 1817 by the Marialanii Ularien Trading Company the native Oyashi daimyos and ambitious Matsutori mainlanders formed various factions and started fighting to control the territory. One such faction was the Republic of Matsutori, a short-lived Occidental-inspired republic beset by domestic political divisions and ethnic tensions, and foreign territorial encroachments and diplomatic pressure.
During the 1850s, under the of command the Zurg Tezomoc, Varshan initiated a multiyear-long naval expedition to the Shauku Archipelago, thoroughly defeating the Matsutorine forces in the region and rendering Matsutorine control over the islands unfeasible. With the conquest of the archipelago, Varshan had a foothold in the Far East of Audonia and would occupy the islands for the next 170 years.
The Shauku Archipelago Campaign and Post-war Administration
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Daxian amphibious transport dock passing a sunk Varshani frigate on its final approach to its landing zone. -
Daxian landing craft resupplying a beachhead on April 13th, 2021.
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The Battle of the Shauku Islands was an ancillary engagement during the Final War of the Deluge, fought between March and May of 2021. The Varshani naval contingent on the Shauku Archipelago was considered a liability as it could attack from the rear during the ground invasion of Varshan proper and the allied command determined that it needed to be eliminated. The combined forces of Daxia and Alstin, were tasked to launched an invasion of the archipelago.
The invasion commenced on March 3rd, with a massive naval battle, the First Battle of the Shauku Littoral. The Daxian fleet approached from their southwest stronghold in Cao and the Alstinian fleet arrived from their northwest bases in Oyashima. The Varshani navy, caught off guard by the scale and coordination of the attack, engaged in a fierce but ultimately losing battle, after a two-day running battle, the remaining ships of the Varshani navy, limped out into the Great Expanse. The Daxo-Alstinian forces were able to establish temporary naval dominance of the Shauku littoral, initiating a relentless bombardment of the islands' defenses.
With the Varshani navy crippled and coastal defenses weakened, Daxo-Alstinian forces initiated amphibious landings across the archipelago. The initial landings met with fierce resistance from the Varshani defenders, who were determined to protect the islands. Despite heavy casualties on both sides, the Daxo-Alstinian forces, aided by continuous naval and aerial bombardment, were able to secure small beachheads and begin pushing inland by March 17th. The Varshani defenders used the jungle terrain and guerrilla tactics to launch numerous counterattacks against the Daxo-Alstinian beachheads. The Daxo-Alstinian forces experienced significant setbacks throughout the week of the 21st, with some units being forced back into the sea. In response to the Varshani counterattacks, the Daxo-Alstinian forces intensified their aerial and naval bombardment. The islands' infrastructure, already heavily damaged by the initial assault, was systematically destroyed. The bombing campaign caused widespread devastation and significant civilian casualties, but it also severely weakened the Varshani defenses and made command and control communications extremely difficult, rendering coordinated operations almost impossible. During the first week of April, a number of resupply convoys arrived and the Daxo-Alstinian forces, reinforced and resupplied, renewed their amphibious assaults, determined to gain control of the beaches. The Varshani defenders, although disorganized, lacking a functional central command and depleted of resources and ammunition, continued to resist fiercely. After weeks of bloody fighting, the Daxo-Alstinian forces eventually managed to secure the beaches, establishing a firm foothold on the major islands. With the beaches secured, the Daxo-Alstinian forces began their advance inland. The Varshani defenders, now fighting a desperate rearguard action, retreated into the interior, using the ruined infrastructure to their advantage to confound Daxo-Alstinian armored manevers and to conduct ambushes. The fighting was sometimes even hand-to-hand, with the Daxo-Alstinian forces suffering heavy losses. As the Daxo-Alstinian forces advanced throughout the second week of April, the Varshani navy returned and launched a series of counterattacks in an attempt to disrupt the invasion. These attacks, the Second Battle of the Shauku Littoral, although initially successful in distracting the Daxo-Alstinian advance, were ultimately repelled, with the Varshani navy fighting to the last vessel and aircraft. The battle ended on April 25th when the last of the Varshani submarines was hunted down and destroyed. Despite the setbacks and heavy casualties, the Daxo-Alstinian forces relentlessly pursued the remaining Varshani defenders on land. The fighting continued for two more weeks, with the Varshani forces gradually being isolated and killed. Eventually, after 9 weeks of intense combat, the last Varshani strongholds were overrun, and the islands were declared secure.
In the aftermath, Daxia and Alstin divided the archipelago between them. The southern islands, fell under Alstinian control and the northern islands were occupied by Daxia. The Alstinians quickly established a military administration in their sector, focusing on restoring order and rebuilding infrastructure. They invested in the islands' agricultural lands and established naval bases to protect their trade routes and project power into Audonia. The initial occupation was met with pockets of resistance, with a guerrilla movement, comprised of former Varshani soldiers and disgruntled civilians, launching sporadic attacks against Alstinian forces and infrastructure projects.
Since 2025, extensive efforts have been made towards to reconstruction and renovation of Sotsial's infrastructure, as well as rehabilitating long-held cultural and social norms through the introduction of Alstinian civil rights and values, all the serving as a vital logistics and transport role throughout the wider Shauku Archipelago.
Government
Sotsial is an incorporated territory of the United Republic. Its governmental structure and fundamental law are prescribed by the Sotsial Territorial Charter, promulgated by President Benjamin Ryder and validated by Parliament in late 2024. The Governor of Sotsial is elected by the residents of Sotsial, and is prescribed a four-year term by the Charter, though a Governor may be replaced or recalled at any point in their term.
The territorial legislative body is known as the Sotsial Territorial Assembly. It is a part-time body that meets once annually at for a period of 32 weeks. The Assembly comprises of 150 seats, apportioned according to population, with a guaranteed minimum of two seats per precinct.
Sotsial sends a single non-voting Delegate to the National Council.
Culture and Society
Contemporary Sotsialian culture, with its roots in Mutsutorine culture, combines influences from Audomia, Levantia, and Crona. Traditional Shaukuese arts include crafts such as ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, swords and dolls; performances of bunraku, kabuki, noh, dance, and rakugo; and other practices, the tea ceremony, ikebana, martial arts, calligraphy, origami, onsen, Geisha and games. With substantial assistance from the United Republic government, Sotsial has a developed system for the protection and promotion of both tangible and intangible Cultural Properties and National Treasures, with seventeen sites having been inscribed on the LoN World Heritage List; thirteen of which are of cultural significance.
In terms of ethnic breakdown, according to the 2030 census 64.3% of Sotsilians identified as Mutsutorine, 19.2% Oyashi, 7.4% Varshani, 4.6% Occidental, and 4.5% other or multi-ethnic. Of the Occidentals residing in Sotsial, about 42% are of Burgoigniac-descent, and 40% are recent Alstinian arrivals. In terms of religious adherence, 83% of Sotsilians are religious, with 72% of the total population practicing Shinto, 7% professing Confucianism, and 6% are Christian, of those 48% are of the Mercantile Reform Protestant denomination, 39% Chantric, and 13% other Christian demoninations. The level of participation in religious ceremonies as a cultural tradition remains high, especially during festivals and occasions such as the first shrine visit of the New Year for the Shinto. Confucianism from Daxia has also influenced some Sotsilan beliefs and customs. Arzalism, having been an import from Varshan, has declined significantly following the end of the Varshani War and the subsequent exodus of ethnic Varshani residents from Sotsial.
Economy
Sotsial benefits from its trading relationship with the federal government of the United Republic and cheap trained labor from Alshar. Historically, the Sotsialian economy has relied on tourism, mostly from East Alshar, on the garment manufacturing sector, and on the mining sector, due to the prevalence of copper, lithium and other minerals. Since 2022, however, efforts have been made to further develop the territorial economy through capital investments and federal infrastructure projects. Such projects include renovation of Sotsial's nearly 500 kilometers of paved roads, expansion of both the Port of Anjiro and Anjiro International Airport, and the establishment of a Marine Highway ferry system to connect the islands together with Iles Evangeline and Oyashima.
Agricultural production, primarily of tapioca, cattle, coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes and melons, exists, but is relatively unimportant in the economy, representing only 3% of its GDP as of 2024.