[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/978759347536539699/998934359446925393/BessarugaFlag_Take2.png[/img]
[h3]Fourth Bessarugan Republic[/h3]
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[b]Type of Government:[/b] Constituent Federal Directorial Republic

	With its humble beginnings as a lucrative penal colony which was rapidly transformed into an extensive, plantation-based colony utilizing extensive prisoner and slave labor, the modern Bessarugan state had its origins in the plethora of wide-reaching slave rebellions which ravaged the former colony in the late 17th century. The colony, while profitable in the extreme, relied on a system of institutionalized peerage through control of vast inheritances. Social mobility was extremely limited, as there was no codified legal mechanism by which a slave could legally be emancipated and the land-based economic system heavily favored the extensive plantation system in place and the vast concentration of wealth in the hands of its landlords severely limited the growth of any emergent middle class. The colony was in all but name a feudal state, and it would be until a series of "red tides" - a series of extremely rapid blooms of algae that quickly and utterly demolished water quality - caused a mass outbreak of famines. Most of the lords refused to lend any of their received and traded aid to their slaves, which triggered a catastrophic series of slave revolts, hunger riots, and mass defections. 

	In time, the slaves, prisoners, rebels, and natives would overthrow their feudal regime, whereupon their success the presiding lords fled, or were killed or sent into exile. Its early history has not been an easy one: Bessaruga has been a republic, a monarchy, a dictatorship, a republic again, an empire, briefly controlled by a bank, a theocracy, a republic once more, a military junta, an empire again, and has back again returned as its Fourth Republic, where it has remained as such since 1800. Bessaruga has enjoyed a period of prosperity starting in the 1830s, which saw its population and its economy blossom. 

[b]Demographics & Population: [/b]

[hider=Indigenous Peoples of Bessaruga]
[hider=Vasiris]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/978759347536539699/998952463824601200/VasiriMale.png[/img]
[i]Artist's depiction of a Vasiri Male[/i]

	Inhabiting the mountains to the North and along the East of Bessaruga's frontier, Vasiris are a humanoid peoples with several, Lepidosauric features, including predominant horns and scaled appendages. Some have been lead to speculate that the Vasiri peoples may be distant ancestors of other draconic peoples -- an idea that has gained traction in academia, but so far has little concrete evidence to validate this theory. Vasiri are quite strong and do not tire easily, and are also known to pick up kinesthetic and athletic skills quickly. 
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[hider=Sea Elves]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/978759347536539699/998952464428568597/SeaElfFemale.png[/img]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/978759347536539699/998952464114004079/SeaElfMale.png[/img]
[i]Artists depictions of a Sea Elf female (top) and a Sea Elf male in headdress (bottom).[/i]

	Native to the vast coasts of Bessaruga, Sea Elf tribes made their living with semi-aquatic lifestyles, often migrating for whaling seasons atop large, flat-bottomed boats. They are very capable divers and swimmers, 
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	Bessaruga is well known for its high ethnic diversity. Although it is a term only recently described by sociologists, the state of social consciousness in Bessaruga and its influence from various Eastern, Western, Indigenous, elven, human, orcish, and draconic sources into a hegemonous identity that can only be called "Bessarugian". Originally a penal colony that was largely propelled by slave labor in its many plantations, a series of slave revolts a century ago transformed the long coast into a haven for those who seek out a new life in the New World. With it came people of countless ethnicities and backgrounds who now call the Bessarugian Coast their home.

[b]Governance & Politics: [/b]

	As outlined in the Fourth Republic's 1815 Constitution, Bessaruga is a diretoral republic divided into electoral districts based upon population. Bessaruga is currently composed of 23 provinces as well as 13 "Junior Republics" -- special regions granted to indigenous governments who retain a higher degree of internal autonomy compared to a federal province. Junior Republics are uniquely allowed to maintain their own armies (a task that normally falls under federal jurisdiction) and maintain their own provincial tax and fiscal policy outside of the federal policy. They are not, however, sovereign nations and cannot host nor establish foreign embassies nor declare war. Junior Republics do maintain special seats in Parliament that have voting tallies counted independently of those in the provinces -- while provincial elections use a proportional voting system based upon population of individual voting districts, the Junior Republics utilize a mathematical counting equation called the Caraxa system. The Caraxa system allocates seats proportionately by using a mathematical system which divides seats among those parties who received the most votes, resulting in a multiparty system that still favors the most popular parties.

	Suffrage is open to all citizens: Legally, this is defined as, "A count of two votes per household or residence" -- a notion which worked well in Bessaruga's early stages of being a rural, agrarian nation, but has grown considerably more cumbersome with Bessaruga's rapid urbanization and industrialization. Ballots are counted and recorded publicly, which in turn makes the ballots not confidential. Political parties can thus employ goons or government officials to harass opposition voters into voting for their party. Though this process makes the actual process of deliberate voting fraud very difficult to achieve, it comes at the cost of intimidation in politics and can lead to political violence.  

[b]Culture & Society:[/b]

	Bessaruga's long history of revolution has unleashed a very libertine culture. If nothing else, it is (mostly) accepting so long as one is willing to show the same modicum of respect towards others as one would themselves. People of all races and sexes of all identifications have come and gone through Bessaruga, and more still call it home. When one comes to Bessaruga, they come in promise of a new dream -- A New Life in the New World. In many of its cities, a lot of people have been coming in and settling down, hopeful that a fresh start in a new country is all that they will need to turn their fortunes around and establish themselves. Many Bessarugan citizens are only second or third generation families, resulting in a cosmopolitanism in its vibrant cities where the touch of all cultures from all corners of the Earth can be found. Bessaruga has a plethora of skilled artisans who come without fear of persecution. Poets and thinkers, inventors and tinkerers litter Bessaruga to the point of ubiquity. Its people can be seen as a bit rowdy and rough - maybe even belligerent. Bessarugans don't mind getting into a little scuffle or two, and are always up for a good brawl. 

	Bessarugan cuisine is fashioned from the intertwining of several indigenous recipes with the influx of immigrants from across the world, often fusing native ingredients with the tastes of its cosmopolitan people. Seafood makes up a good portion of the diet, coupled with local staples such as rice and quinoa. Wine and tea is often made from the indigenous açaí fruit and are consumed with most meals of the day. 

	All in all, Bessaruga produces a cultural legacy that is truly difficult to understate. In the most unlikely of its unruly taverns and rancorous bars lie true masters of arts and sound, and across the alleys of its streets and the avenues of its villas. Even if the Bessarugian state shall cease to exist, the legacy of its licentious, free-spirited culture will produce nostalgics and imitators for centuries to come. 

[b]Magic & Technology: [/b]

	For the majority of Bessaruga's existence as a colony, the infrastructure predominantly revolved around sizable plantations of cash crops and lucrative livestock, and whatever artisinal goods could be refined from the immediate fruits of the labor of these farms and estates. This tradition proved to be a time-tested staple of Bessaruga's light industry: Production of things such as rum, wine, sugar, paper, fabric, rubber, and canned goods dominated much of Bessaruga's principle exports. Agricultural exports mostly included crops like soybeans, maize, rice, and quinoa, while animal product exports were primarily cheese, beef, and seafood. Mining is mostly conducted along the sloping lowlands of the mountains, and predominantly include copper, iron, silver, and manarite. 

	With the wave of industrialization sweeping throughout the world, Bessaruga seemed to truly blossom throughout the 1830s and 40s. Factories sprouted up along its many coastal cities, which blossomed the towns into lucrative industrial centers, from which sprouted innumerable seaports and rail lines that ran all along its coast. Trade cities blossomed into sprawling metropolises and where once were quaint port towns now stand as impressive, sprawling modern cities with countless boroughs. Shipyards and machine parts factories are prominent features of most any city in Bessaruga. Not all of this development has come so evenly, however -- slums have cropped up around the outskirts of many cities, where working-class citizens live in cramped tenements and ramshackle haciendas. 

	Free from persecution, some of the most well-known wizards, sorcerers, and circus-performers have hailed from the Bessarugian Coast. A good number of these gifted mages go towards projects that most would not consider particularly contributional to the state of the the nation -- such as magic-powered distilleries, stage-play effects, and pornography -- yet all the same they have thrived and called Bessaruga their home for decades now. If nothing else, they all provide ample reason to come and visit, and each year Bessaruga attracts more than its share of tourists and sight-seers. 

[b]Military Overview:[/b]

	Officially titled, "The Armed Forces of the Republic", the Bessarugan military has a long traditions bolstered by its esprit de corps of tenacious, dedicated soldiers, and enjoys considerable prestige. From even its humble beginnings as a fledgeling slave revolt, Bessaruga knew the vitality of an effective defense to guard itself against possible re-conquests or other wars of opportunity from its many neighbors. Massed military enlistment was a staple of the government, outlined in the 1703 Constitution: "Any man or woman who calls Bessaruga their Motherland is a soldier, and owes to Her defense." Originally, the term of service in the 1703 Constitution "owed" by citizens was 20 years for all citizens between the ages of 16 and 35. Throughout the years this has been constantly revised to suit the changing needs of the regime and Bessaruga at large, and current military law states that all adults over the age of 16 are required at least 2 years of service for voluntary enlistment, and 4 years for conscription. Citizenship is expedited to recent or hopeful immigrants in exchange of military service. 

	Accustomed to rough Frontier Wars and Littoral incursions, the Bessarugan Revolutionary Army is a fierce fighting force. Famous for their impressive shock tactics and pertinacious "rough rider" cavalry, the BRA is renown as a very "rough and tumble" military force, home to iron-willed and iron-jawed soldiers led by daring and adaptable officers. The Bessarugan Revolutionary Army is primarily divided into the Land Army Corps and the Aviation Army Corps. The primary task of the Land Army Corps is the primary ground army of Bessaruga, and acts the predominant force of the two in the organization of the Revolutionary Army. Further subdivided into the constituent various Republican Legions, the Land Army Corps is composed of several subdivisions that work together in various specialties, such as the Engineer Legion, Construction Legion, Medical Legion, Mages Legion, and so forth. On the other hand, the Aviation Corps serves as mostly as a supportive component of the Army, composed of balloon, glider, and airship flotillas that act to provide aerial supremacy and reconnaissance. 

	The uniforms of the BRA composes of a jacket and trousers -- either navy or khaki in color -- calf-high leather boots, a belt, and a single-strap bandolier. Headwear depends upon role and service, with a crumple-top kefi or a slouch hat being the most common. Infantry are usually issued with either the older M1860 Rifle, an accurate, single-shot breech-loader, or the Maripoxa 1869, an 8-shot repeating rifle favored more by cavalry and grenadiers, but disliked among generals who are concerned with their troops running out of ammunition too swiftly.

	Of the two branches, the Bessarugan Revolutionary Navy certainly receives the favoritism of the annual budget. Pounding out an impressive array of airships, steambirds, monitors, and battleships, the BRN is certainly nothing to be trifled with. Capable of an imposing capacity of power projection, the Revolutionary Navy is not only capable of defending its skies and shores, but it can easily reach out and strike against threats miles and miles away. Pioneering designs such as the torpedo cruiser and the submersible, the BRN has long attempted to experiment with their self-styled "Escola Joven" theories of maximizing firepower and maneuverability in order to facilitate firepower-to-weight capabilities of their ships. 
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