Talamh Chaonaigh

Talamh Caonaigh (: 苔國; (((Hokanese))); : ᚛ᚈᚐᚂᚐᚋᚆ ᚉᚐᚑᚅᚐᚔᚌᚆ᚜; pronounced: ) or (((Hokanese name))), officially the Holy Empire of Talamh Caonaigh (: 苔神聖國; (((Hokanese))); : ᚛ᚈᚐᚂᚐᚋᚆ ᚅᚐᚑᚃᚐ ᚉᚐᚑᚅᚐᚔᚌᚆ᚜ Talamh Naofa Caonaigh) is a   in West Yoju. Talamh Caonaigh borders Ealdheim to the east, Sora to the southeast, Bakusai to the southwest, the Lower Laai Republic to the south, and the Northern Ocean to the north and west.

Prehistoric Talamh Caonaigh
What is now Talamh Caonaigh was originally settled as early as 10,500 BC, after glaciers receded north at the end of an Ice Age. By 4000 BC, agriculture became common in Ancient Talamh Caonaigh. Several varieties of grain were grown, livestock was kept, and buildings were built out of stone. Phyto-archaeologists believe barley was probably the most common crop due to its cold tolerance. One large farm, in particular, which dates to about 3500 BC, shows evidence of organized agriculture, with several fields divided by low stone walls, which may have kept animals in or thieves out.

By 2500 BC, the Bronze Age had begun in Ancient Talamh Caonaigh. New inventions made life easier and longer. The wheel came to Talamh Caonaigh from Central Yoju (modern-day Seogwan) during this time and alcohol became the preferred drink because it seemed to prevent some sicknesses. Early oxen-driven ploughs were constructed and metalworking spread throughout Talamh Caonaigh, allowing for the development of weapons and tools. Finer jewellery also came into fashion during this time as gold was popularized.

Empire of Eirenn
By the Late Bronze Age, Celtic Gwaela languages were emerging in Talamh Caonaigh and the surrounding areas, and trade was common between Talamh Caonaigh and its neighbours, including Ealdheim, Sora, and Bakusai. It is unclear whether a large-scale migration or invasion took place which led to the prevalence of Celtic culture in Talamh Caonaigh. A large-scale genetic replacement has been found among human remains dating back to the third millennium BCE. Either Celtic migrants outnumbered early Caonaigh farmers 9-to-1 or the Caonaigh farmers mostly died out when the Celts arrived, perhaps due to invasion or disease. These Celts either brought the Ogham script with them or invented it once in Talamh Caonaigh. The earliest known written alphabet in West Yoju, stones inscribed with have been dated to the 4th century. The invention of Ogham was followed by the first publications of legal decisions, which, when all combined, constitute the first Gwaela Canon of Laws.

By the 7th and 8th centuries, rival kingdoms in Talamh Caonaigh began to merge and by about 800 CE, the Empire of Eirenn was formed, with High Emperors and High Empresses as its leaders. The various kingdoms in Eirenn became provinces that answered to the High Emperor or Empress. In the 10th century CE, several waves of Viking raiders from Övlanda attempted to colonize Eirenn but the Empire managed to fight them off, thanks in large part to the pre-existing cultural unity that had formed over the previous centuries. It was also during this era that the first, comprised of more than ten legal texts concerning everything from marriage to legal theory, was written and a was established in many parts of the Empire.

First Contact with Hokan
First Contact with Hokanese peoples occurred in the late 18th century and trade was well-established by 1790. Hokanese texts described Talamh Caonaigh as a Land Of Moss, which is where it got its modern name. Eventually, Hokan established an outpost in eastern Talamh Caonaigh. This outpost was called An Céad Cathair, "The Hundredth City," not to be confused with An Chéad Chathair, "The First City." It was probably initially called "The First City," but a misspelling changed the meaning. Later interpreters of the city's name posited that the Hokanese named the city "City of Hundreds" to emphasize its importance. This is no longer the widely accepted interpretation since earlier records have been found which spelt the city's name as An Chéad Chathair in Ogham and Hokanese.

By the 1820s, it was clear that the Hokanese were no longer satisfied with their one outpost city. The Gwaela Caonaigh allowed them more land to encourage them to stay since their presence facilitated trade. By 1830, Hokan controlled so much of Talamh Caonaigh's valuable land that the Gwaela Caonaigh had no recourse when Hokan declared that all of Talamh Caonaigh was under Hokanese jurisdiction. It would take nearly a century for the Liberation Movement to gain enough momentum to successfully overthrow the Hokanese.

Colonial Period
During the Colonial Period, the Hokanese attempted to subject Talamh Caonaigh to a wide range of oppressive measures designed to replace the native Celtic culture with Hokanese culture. Several cities near the original outpost city were established as majority-Hokanese cities. The Hokanese did not allow the Gwaela Caonaigh to reside there, instead, restricting them to sub-standard living conditions and infertile land. Gwaela children were sometimes taken from their parents and placed with Hokanese parents or sent to Hokanese boarding schools. This rare but brutal practice led to the existence of the Gwaela Cultural Orphans, a generation of stolen children. Children who were not taken from their parents were mandated to go to schools that taught revisionist Hokanese history, Hokanese language, and Hokanese culture. The schools did not teach Gwaela Caonaigh history, language, culture, or Ogham script. Many Gwaela Caonaigh parents taught their children themselves and others preserved their history and culture by storing secret texts or hosting secret gatherings of Gwaela. Gwaela Caonaigh were officially forbidden from practising any aspects of their culture or religion but these laws were seldom enforced outside of the majority-Hokanese areas after 1860. By that time, there was already a strong underground resistance movement building and cultural unity had been catalyzed among all Gwaela in Talamh Caonaigh. Scattered instances of occurred between 1840 and 1870 but the Gwaela Liberation Movement did not gain enough traction to succeed until the late 19th century when Hokan began to withdraw as it was facing troubles at home (See: Scarlet Revolution). Liberation was formally declared on 4 Samwol 1875 and the War of Liberation was fought until Talamh Caonaigh's decisive victory on 10 Irwol 1881. A year later, Hokan's Civil War ended in the formation of the People's Union of Hokan. The People's Union issued a formal apology, explaining that the previous government had become corrupt, and issuing financial reparations. Despite this, the cultural damage may never be repaired.

Liberation
The Hokanese proposed a means of liberation for the Gwaela Caonaigh. Talamh Caonaigh would become a semi-independent territory of Hokan and, in exchange, the Hokanese would provide education, health care, and other social services. However, the administration of the semi-autonomous region of Talamh Caonaigh was rather corrupt, and, as a result, the supposedly "liberating" effects of this agreement were not felt by the Gwaela.

Foreign Aid
Talamh Caonaigh does not generally accept much foreign aid. After the formation of the People's Union of Hokan in 1882, Hokan issued a formal for its oppressive actions during the Colonial Period. Hokan also paid modest reparations along with the formal Apology. The reparations allowed Talamh Caonaigh to remain independent of various other would-be colonizing forces. Talamh Caonaigh has not officially accepted any foreign aid since then.

Currency
Talamh Caonaigh's currency is known as the Cláirseach, meaning "harp." It is generally believed that this name originated as a nickname for coins with harps on them and that the original name of the currency was either never distinct from the metal it was made of or was forgotten during the Colonial Period.

Main Exports
Talamh Caonaigh's main exports include, which has been farmed there for thousands of years, , and. Recently, Talamh Caonaigh has been expanding its sector.

Trade Deals
Talamh Caonaigh has had established trade with most of West Yoju since the late. This includes Ealdheim, Bakusai, Sora, and Lower Laai. Trade with Hokan and Namju is a remnant of the Colonial Period. Today, Talamh Caonaigh is working to establish trade relations with many nations in Tiandi, including most recently Ambemarivo and Qichiwallanqa. Talamh Caonaigh is a major consumer of and  from Qichiwallanqa.

Political System
Talamh Caonaigh is a. It has fourteen heads of state, including a High Imperial Druid and 13 Imperial Druids. The designation of "Imperial" Druid distinguishes them from regional or local Druids who administer smaller portions of land. Most cities and towns have a Druid for a leader but participate in or. Local Druids are elected by public popular vote. Regional Druids are elected by the Local Druids and Imperial Druids are elected by the Regional Druids. The High Imperial Druid is chosen out of the Imperial Druids.

Imperial Druids
The High Imperial Druid and the 13 Imperial Druids are the leaders of the Holy Empire of Talamh Caonaigh. The 13 Imperial Druids are essentially ministers with different areas of expertise. All Druids, no matter the level of government they serve, must have completed a Religious Education and a Practical Education. However, the standards for these Educations vary widely by locality. In some localities, Religious Education entails the study of the, while in others it entails specifically. In some localities, this might mean sending the Druid candidate to a formal Religious University and in others, it might mean studying the sacred texts with the Local Druid in an apprenticeship fashion. Practical Education varies even more because there are more options for study. Druids may choose to study law, history, science, or engineering, among other fields. Druids have also been known to have been elected without having completed either Education but that is very rare.