Varhamyuuse

Societal ties: Bartak

Current population: 1

Main language(s): Varam Bathtel

Area: 268,000km²

Natural and political borders

The eastern border is well-mapped, passing through the Cuskuu Koletanuu between the Gonanuu and Varamuu river drainage systems until it meets the northernmost mass of Zoiznuu Bathtelizhuu. The western border is marked by the Thakluush Valen and Soufwhuu Varosuu.

All river drainage systems along the Smikuu Varamuun coast between longitudes 165.0°E and 170.7°E fall within the Land, the only exception being the border with the Land of Baathtelhe which is set at latitude 43.0°N on the Angrhuu river.

History

The area that eventually became the Land of Varamyuuse was initially developed by the Tells Authority. Alongside the Smikuu Damizhuu (on the western coast), Defe plantation was cultivated as part of the first stage of the planned evacuation of whole communities to Ewlah. Cultivation by authority pioneers began in the upper reaches of Dhounaelhuu Varamuun in the early gt530s; it was by far the biggest works undertaken by the authority, finally reaching a state where it could start accepting emigrants in gt546.

During the course of the main evacuation, almost half a million people (more than 40 per cent of the total number of refugees) either settled in, or passed through, Defe Plantation over the course of the next 25 orbits, during which time work started on new settlements in the Potuu and Kasandrhuu valleys.

It was always the intention of the Tells authority to move itself to Ewlah, and work on building the city of Defe started soon after the first emigrants arrived. However, the precipitous collapse of the authority, and the Tells region, in gt557 left a power vacuum in the new Bartak colonies and killed the idea of a single Bartak nation. Instead, plantations and settlements began to look after their own affairs. Building of the planned capital of the stillborn nation came to a halt in the mid gt550s, and when building resumed, it was to a new plan better suited to meet the needs of a much smaller nation state.

One plan that did proceed was stage two of the evacuation. Pioneers from Defe were sent out to establish new plantations deep in the heart of the continent, with Palake Plantation opening in gt556 and Valele Plantation in gt569. Both plantations were, from the outset, independent of Defe. The process of migration was controlled at the Defe end through the building of a great encampment on the banks of the Angrhuu river which guarded the main trails south - this encampment remains inhabited to this day, and is the only permanent Bartak settlement that does not possess its own cultivations.

Though the Tells authority plan for a single Bartak nation never materialised, the idea refused to die. In gt720 Defe Plantation, together with its satellite settlements and the southern encampment, became a founder member of the Bartekol League. Originally, Defe was to be the seat of the new administration, but within months of its formation, the League administration chose to relocate itself to Palake. Despite the loss of the administration, the city prospered - not least because of its position as the effective gateway to Palake and a new trade route eastwards to the Ambostak city of Ramane.

Unfortunately, the Bartekol League administration proved to be both inefficient and corrupt. Plans to form a new League were first discussed between Defe, Ohmne and Couwe sometime in gt749. In gt751 a rival administration was set up by the League members in Defe, and conflict between the two administrations became a distinct possibility. Trained forces from across the new Bartak Lands gathered in Defe to march into the mountains. Luckily, the threat of force was enough to convince the old administration to dissolve itself.

Even though the city was originally intended to be a capital city for all Bartak Society, the citizens were not keen to play host to the new authority - having witnessed how the old authority had damaged local democracy in Palake. The new authority finally moved back to Palake in gt755, allowing Defe citizens to get back to what they did best: trading.

For the most part, Varhamyuuse has always been a peaceful Land - troubles tend to come from outside its borders. For instance, in the gt820s problems in neighbouring Koletane had an impact on the economy and politics of the Land; when Koletane fell into dictatorship in the gt830s, Varhamyuuse played a leading role in opposing the spread of the dictatorship's ideals.

The biggest influence on the Land over the past 2 centuries has without doubt been the Lands of the Ambostak Society to the east. In particular, the technological renaissance has allowed Varhamyuuse to develop new industries - the mining settlements in the west were established in the gt1030s and 1040s specifically to meet the demand for rare metals by the re-emerging telecommunications industry.

Politics and economy

While the politics and economy of the Land are dominated by the city of Defe, the Land itself has adopted a localist political structure from the earliest days, with national bodies and institutions restricted in the amount of power they could wield by the city and settlements. The Land has operated as a federation since gt831, an agreement that was drawn up as a specific measure to prevent a dictatorship ever taking root in the political body. Today, the federal districts are: Defe Plantation; Potuu Plantation; the Eastern Settlements; the Western Settlements; and the Encampment - now the home of the Universities of Varhamyuuse.

Trade, and the services allied with trade such as banking, retail and transportation, are the great driving forces behind the Varhamyuuse economy, though agriculture, education, mining, communications and both heavy and light manufacturing also play a role.

Culture and other issues of interest

Varhamyuuse citizens tend to divide their world into social, spiritual and economic spheres, and look to different institutions to coordinate activities in each. The temples play a key role in the spiritual sphere, and are less important in the social sphere compared to most other Bartak Lands. Religion is seen as an individual choice, though people tend to stick with the temple sect they were bought up with. Overall, people have a practical rather than evangelical relationship with their temple. There are four main temple sects operating throughout the Land, three of which follow a hierarchical structure while the fourth is more tolerant of variations between individual temples.

Social life tends to revolve around the family and the neighbourhood sporting clubs. The Varhamyuuse are fanatical about organised sports, and there are a number of semi-professional team-based leagues for various sporting codes - the most popular being a form of 'non-contact' football. Similarly, the arts are seen as a team-based activity and are often competitive in nature, with a well established calender of festivals where neighbourhood teams compete in oral, visual and written artforms for prestige and prize money.

Varhamyuuse law recognises the concept of the company, and many people work either for a company or for a family partnership. Even so, it is commonly said that under the skin of every Varhamyuuse you'll find a shopkeeper, and there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit within the national identity.

Key natural features

Most of the Land consists of the rolling hills of the Cuskuu Koletanuu to the west of the Varamuu-Angrhuu river, and the equally similar Cuskuu Varamuu to the east. These hills are cut through by a series of rivers, the majority of which converge on the Dhounaelhuu Varamuun to empty their waters into the sea.

The naming of the rivers may seem to be a little confusing - due to mistaken assumptions by the earliest pioneers on the source of the main river. All the rivers that drain from the northern flanks of Zoiznuu Bathtelizhuu are collectively known as the Varamuu river, while the tributary that heads south into the heart of the Bathtel mountains (and now considered to be the main river) is called the Angrhuu river. Two other significant river systems are the Potuu rivers in the south and the Kasandrhuu rivers in the east.

Habitats

The northern half of the Land is northern coastal habitat, merging into northern valley habitat the further you move away from the coast. Northern scrubland habitat predominates in the south western corner of the Land.

Plantations and settlements

Defe Plantation was the first cultivation in the Land, and remains the largest, stretching some 150km by 110km at its widest extent (though not all of this area is cultivated) and supporting two settlements in addition to the city itself. A second extensive plantation, supporting four settlements, lies south of Defe along the Potuu river.

Five further settlements lie along the Varamuu rivers, four of them at the tributary heads along the flanks of Zoiznuu Bathtelizhuu, while the Potuu supports one further settlement and the Kasandrhuu two settlements. There are no coastal settlements west of Dhounaelhuu Varamuun; in recent times progress has been made in establishing two settlements east of the river mouth along the coast.

Finally, the Land supports a major permanent encampment in the south, on the Angrhuu river - the land around the encampment has never been cultivated.

Key towns and cities

Rural population: 0 (0.0% of total)