History
Kevarus was, at one time, a group of mining colonies throughout Wintreath known as the Kevarian Chain, controlled by the nearby Hvis Archate, which was in turn controlled by the Wintreath Empire. The Hvis eventually collapsed, however, and some time before that cut off all support for the Kevarian Colonies. The Empire had higher priorities than this distant, small chain, and long-lasting anarchy ensued. Most colonies lost contact with the others, while countless governments rose and fell throughout them. Warlords would make claims of legitimacy by tracing their lineage to Hvis figures, but no regime could stand for long.
In time, however, a group of factions banded together on the planet of Esvir, brought together by the ideal of a reunited Chain. They referred to their domain as Kevarus; this was far from unique at the time. Most supposed restored Kevarian regimes did not seek to reconquer the rest of the Chain, however. To supply their conquests, the Kevarians resorted to piracy, privateering and black market activities. Their motivation made them ruthless and they quickly became feared across the region.
Within the Chain, however, they were more respected than feared. As they considered all residents of the Chain their rightful subjects, the Kevarians treated them well and avoided warfare whenever possible. Some planets even welcomed their rule. In time, they came to rule the entirety of the former colonies.
Early in the age of a restored Kevarus, the government discontinued their piracy and black market businesses. Instead, they financed infrastructure projects across the war-ravaged lands with money made from trading mined ores and other materials. Standards of life had, for the most part, increased since restoration.
Despite the benevolency of the regime, most of Kevarus was impoverished to varying degrees. Especially in systems further from Esvir, piracy and crime became massive problems. In some conquered systems, separatist factions arose, sabotaging infrastructure and demanding attention from the military. Exhausted and drained of funds, the Kevarian government divided their lands into groups of systems known as Districts. Each District was semi-autonomous and tasked with improving quality of life throughout their lands.
The plan was successful - some separatists were content with semi-autonomy, while the others could now be dealt with. Life improved throughout the Chain. There was only one problem. Many of the Districts had resumed state-sanctioned piracy to fund their projects, resulting in interregional animosity towards Kevarus. Many empires embargoed the Kevarians as a whole, while others embargoed only the Districts known for illicit activities. There were, of course, still others who freely engaged in shady dealings with Kevarus.
Trade wars erupted from time to time, but nothing substantial ever resulted from them. The Chain is well-defended, preventing too much loss from these wars.
Nowadays, the Districts still stand; discontent would erupt across the Chain if they were destroyed. Piracy is still present, as it is now simply a part of the culture of many Districts. Quality of life still varied throughout them, but most have a reasonable standard.
Government
The United Kevarian Chain (UKC) is the federal government. It is divided into 5 Districts, each of which operates at a level of semi-autonomy, and federal territory. The UKC maintains four systems itself, including that which contains the capital planet of Esavir. The Districts and their locations are as follows:
New Hvis District: X: 24-25, Y: 1-2
Arveri District: X: 23, Y: 1-3; X: 23-25, Y: 3
Tarsus District: X: 23, Y: -1-(-4)
Marakov District: X: 23-25, Y: -4
Sevett District: X: 24-25, Y: -3-(-4)
UKC Territory (Not a District, federal territory): X: 24-25, Y: -1-(-2)
The UKC is divided into three branches - executive, legislative, and judicial. The Ithyr is a single person who serves in the executive position, and serves for ten years. They are elected by the Arving (the legislative branch), which is made up of twenty elected representatives from each district, and thirty from UKC territory, amounting to 130 total members. The Ithyr appoints Kel-Ithyrs, which serve as governors for the Districts. Kel-Ithyrs serve for life, unless promoted to Ithyr by the Arving. The judicial branch, the Vell, takes cases relating to national issues.
Individual planets are ruled by elected officials called Ukurdhs. Ukurdhs may only be elected from the aristocratic class, and Kel-Ithyrs are selected from the Ukurdhs within the District. Ukurdhs serve for five-year terms.
Technology
Kevarus made few technological advancements of their own due to their history of being subjugated and later being pirates. Most advanced gear comes from the wreckage of foreign ships. They did, however, become quite adept at signal jamming and innovated in that field.
Military
Army
The Kevarian army uses railguns, and wears lightweight power suits for protection.
Navy
The Kevarian navy is the most noted branch of the military. Its ships are divided into the following classes:
Xebec
Xebec-class ships (along with Galleons and Frigates) are used for both trading and warfare, instead of solely the latter. They are around 500m in length, and their main danger comes not from their weapons but from the signal jammers they're equipped with.
Galleon
Galleon-class ships make up the bulk of the fighting force in the navy. These ships are anywhere from 800m-1km in length, and more heavily armed than Xebecs. They do not, however, come with signal jammers.
Frigate
Frigate-class ships are larger and more heavily armed than Galleons, but otherwise have little to set them apart. They are 1-1.2km in length.
Carrier
Carrier-class ships carry large amounts of ground soldiers, and are heavily armed so as to defend them. For this reason, they are both slow for their size and a force to be reckoned with. They are 1.4-1.6km long.
Cruiser
Cruiser-class ships are combat ships that come equipped with medium armor and plenty of guns. They will typically be seen guarding Carriers, forming a convoy around them. They are just slightly longer than Carriers, but take up less space overall due to a more narrow design.
Dreadnought
Dreadnought-class ships are the largest Kevarian ships that will be seen outside of the largest battles, coming in at 2km long. They carry small assault aircraft on them, and generate thick shields around themselves. They are heavily armed as well; their only weakness is their bulkiness, as they are fairly slower than even Carriers.
Behemoth
Behemoth-class ships are few in number and only utilized in the most intense of situations. They are essentially larger Dreadnoughts, around 3km long.
Important Figures
Ithyr Osman Lyech is the current Ithyr of Kevarus. He hails from the Tarsus District and grew up on one of the most poverty-stricken planets there, but into the aristocratic class. He became the Ukurdh of his home planet as a young adult, and spent years on public works projects dedicated to eradicating poverty. He was, however, quite ruthless - political opponents would often find themselves in prison or in unsafe conditions on the projects. These accusations were never investigated by the District or Federal government due to other priorities.
During a trade war with a nearby system several terms into his rule, Lyech personally led the fleet in the only significant battle, which was a resounding victory for the Kevarians. He had thus distinguished himself, and during the next election cycle he resigned as Ukurdh after 25 years of service and instead ran for the Arving. He was elected, still only 47 at the time and with several decades of experience. He championed many economic bills and was renowned for their efficiency. Elected Ithyr at age 72, he is now 80. The Ithyr is known for being a cold, blunt figure who is more than able to rule despite his advanced age.
Commander Vankarum Veli is the Commander of the Kevarian Military. Coincidentally, he is from the same planet as Lyech, but born into poverty. After spending years in the pirate guilds to work his way up the economic ladder, Veli enlisted in the military and amazed his superiors with his intelligence and ability. He quickly rose through the ranks and attended school to learn further leadership skills. He was proclaimed Commander of the Kevarian Military after his predecessor died. Now 53, Veli has a sharp eye on the battlefield and a similar no-nonsense attitude as Osman.
Pirate-Chief Esa Kagar is the leader of the Sevett Pirate Guild, hailing from the District of the same name and the largest of its kind. She is an international criminal, but as international piracy is commonly accepted in Kevarus, she has not yet been apprehended. In fact, it is even rumored she is in regular correspondence with the UKC. She holds some sway over all the major pirate guilds throughout the Chain; even those directly opposed to her interests respect and fear her. She is among the most powerful people in Kevarus and certainly the richest. Little is known of her private life, as she is rather secretive about that.
