Valithoria

The Confederated States of Valithoria (Kathic: Delherandair Khonotir Valithorasir) is a confederation of four formal Kathic colonies in central Veharia. It borders the Allonian Ocean to its northeast, Florencia to its north, a large mountain range to the south, and a desert to the west. Valithoria is home to approximately 57 million citizens, over half of those living in the state of Valithoria. Prior to Kathic colonization, the lands that now comprise Valithoria were inhabited by various native groups, the largest of which were the Preostians and the Ustilians, from which two Valithorian states take their name. These natives were largely nomadic, though some settlements existed along the Ustili and Preost rivers.

Kathic settlers landed in current day Valithoria in 1552 and established a colony near the modern day city of Daszau in 1563. Valithoria was founded as a colony of the Kingdom of Kathia in 1567. More settlements were established along the coast and further inland, causing native push back. The colony of Preostia was established in 1589, and the colony of Ustili was given autonomy from Preostia in 1620 to appease the natives of the region. In 1644, hearing news of Kathia's defeat to Daeron, some northern regions of Valithoria along the Tiszian Peninsula attempted to unilaterally seceed. The rebellion proved unsuccessful, though the colony of Tiszia was established in 1657 alongside the founding of the Kathic Empire. Feeling the increasing overreach and militarization of the Kathic Empire, the colonies fell into unrest. During the late 1600’s and early 1700’s, numerous small secessionist rebellions popped up throughout the colonies. Tensions boiled over into revolution in the late 1700's, with the CSV declaring its independence on 20 Highscald, 1788. The faltering empire quickly lost grips on the newly formed CSV, being focused on the struggle to remain in power in the Kathic homeland and ill prepared to deal with a war overseas. Valithoria acted quickly to establish trade relations with Aurora, believing it to be important for continued economic growth, which lead Valithoria to advance quickly alongside the Auroran nations. Valithoria remained neutral during the great wars, using a tactic of defensive neutrality. During the Second Great War, protests raged across the nation urging action, but the confederate government was unwilling to take a stance, deciding instead to focus on domestic issues.

Today, Valithoria is a highly developed nation with a GDP of 2.34 trillion and varying levels of urbanization between states. The state of Valithoria is the dominant economic and cultural force within the nation due to its high population and technological development. Valithoria is a member of the World Concordat, but tends to avoid entanglement with other international organizations. Valithoria has a developed national military, but does not possess nuclear warheads. Valithoria is officially a confederation, and its national government operates as a series of democratically elected representative councils. Each state has its own local government that has the power to create laws, operate judiciary and punitive systems, and tax its citizens. While this creates a clear divide between regions, the nationalized military, currency, and freedom of travel withing the nation create a unified national identity.

Indigenous peoples and Kathic colonization
It is believed that the native people of modern day Valithoria arrived from the north (modern day Florencia) and the southwest of the region, with the northern tribes being largely nomadic and the southern tribes containing a greater variety of cultures, both nomadic and sedentary. The Preostians settled largely along the Preost river basin and the Ustilians along the Ustili river basin and the nearby mountains. The Preostians and Ustilians were the two largest native tribes encountered by Kathic settlers, with initial accounts describing the natives as having large settlements and a complex society. Though friendly interactions were not uncommon, many of these native settlements were met with hostility by Kathic settlers, with natives being sold into slavery or killed. Despite any good intentions to establish trade with the natives, disease was often spread between the settlers and the natives, leading to severe depopulation in dense native settlements. These combined forces greatly weakened the natives' ability to prevent the establishment of Kathic settlements on their lands.

The first Kathic settlement was established in Daszau in 1563, 11 years after the first Kathic settlers arrived in the region. Valithoria was founded as a colony of the Kingdom of Kathia in 1567. Other settlements, such as Lauria, Valithal, and Locida were founded soon after, leading to higher tensions and frequent battles between the settlers and the natives. Numerous agreements to preserve native lands and restrict the settlers' expansion were made, however, settlers continued to initiate conflicts and claim land that violated these agreements. The natives that chose to assimilate to the Kathic culture were often accepted into society, though many were also sold into slavery. The colony of Preostia was established in 1589, and the colony of Ustili was given autonomy from Preostia in 1620 to appease the natives of the region. In 1644, hearing news of Kathia's defeat to Daeron, some northern regions of Valithoria along the Tiszian Peninsula attempted to unilaterally seceed, believing that a Kathic state in political turmoil would be unable to enforce sovereignty. The rebellion proved unsuccessful, though the colony of Tiszia was established in 1657 alongside the founding of the Kathic Empire.