Acronis: Difference between revisions

|national_anthem = No Line but Akrona <!--in inverted commas and wikilinked if link exists-->

|population_estimate = 1619,641032,067529

|population_estimate_year = 20222023

|GDP_nominal = $507580,922915,896722,006214 SHD

|GDP_nominal_year = 20222023

The island of Avnatra, on which the modern countries of Acronis, [[Serramal]], Tavaris and (western) [[Vaklori]] sit, has been inhabited (perhaps not continuously) for at least 350,000 years. The first inhabitants were [[Orc|orcs]], and since the earliest times of habitation, the farthest western portions of the island have always among the least densely populated. Modern Acronis also seems to have become populated much later than other regions of the island; the oldest discovered, verified prehistoric orcish remains found around Crystal Coast date to 200,000 years ago, much more recent than both the southeastern and northeastern regions, suggesting that initial settlement of the island may have come from both directions. Much of the explanation for the west-central region's relative isolation is geographical and geological; the relatively elevated Ranat Plateau, close to the center of the island, is much more rugged in terrain than the lowlands, and historically was the densest portion of the rainforest (the natural jungle has since been thinned considerably in favor of coffee and cocoa plantations), making travel to the west difficult and dangerous. The far northwest of the island, home to [[Mt. Avotro]], reaches high enough in elevation for there to be snow, and the northwest coastal region is arid steppe, making travel from those directions even more difficult. As a result, the region has long been distant from local centers of power and considered remote.

The period of time between the development of written Tavari and the unification of the Kingdom of Tavaris in 1304 is known as the Classical Tavari period. During this time, there was never any one overarching Tavari polity, with each clan essentially sovereign over its own territory—though, in practice, one or even several tribes may have been tribute-paying subjects of another. The practice of tributaries was more common in the west than in the east, while eastern chiefs often favored direct invasion and annexation of rivals' territory, believed to be due in part to the relative sparse population and more rugged areas hindering ease of administration encouraging would-be conquerors to delegate such tasks to chiefs who reported to them rather than spend their own time, money, and people doing so. In the crystal coast region in particular, a tradition arose of "matriarchs"—a politically powerful woman commanding the loyalty of several local chiefs, sometimes (though not always) without a chiefdom holding of her own. These matriarchs were called a "moderating influence" and credited themselves with encouraging peace, contrasting themselves with eastern chiefs who, they said, were constantly waging war with one another. The historical record, however, shows no significant difference in the amount of armed conflict between Tavari clans in the east and west. In reality, these women were invariably the priestessesshrinemasters of major templesshrines, of which there were several in the rapidly urbanizing area that controlled vast swaths of land that were suddenly highly prized as possible settlement locations. Why it came to be that the templesshrines around the crystal coast were headed by matriarchal dynasties remains unclear and is an area of active study and scholarship in Tavari academia.

While not all western regions had overtly matriarchal systems, something that a much broader majority of western communities shared in common was a difference in religious worship that retained significant examples of nature worship, while the eastern and southern Tavari tribes shed these traditions and focused their worship exclusively on the spirits of departed ancestors. The largest pre-Akronist shrine in Acronis, also one of the oldest, is the Shrine of the Ocean Mother near Anara, which contains no graves at all and is not dedicated to any one family but instead to "the spirit of the ocean, who is the mother to us all," according to traditional chants carried orally among the priestsshrinemasters and tenders of the templeshrine since the 7th century. The moon, too, featured as a significant focus of worship in the west, also often characterized as a mother or as a guardian spirit considered "ancestral" to the people. These traits are believed to be holdovers from the religious beliefs of the First Va people who had still lived in the west when the proto-Tavari arrived. While most modern scholars believe that these traditions form part of the core foundation of modern Akronism, this theory remains unpopular among many Akronist religious groups and, as recently as 2019, was characterized by then-leader of the Tavari Communist Party, Atra Metravar, as "Tavari nationalist propaganda designed to suppress the idea that people in the west might have ever, even once, had an original idea." What is certain to be true is that differences in religious practice formed a significant cultural cleavage long before the emergence of the Akronist faith.

The Tavari Unification Wars were not, generally speaking, a conflict between "east" and "west," though it was true that the forces of the Nuvo chiefs generally moved northward and westward (as they existed as the southwesterly southeastern-most Tavari clan). Modern historians generally characterize the Unification Wars as partly borne of a need to build power to resist encroaching [[Ni-Rao|Raonites]] who had begun naval raids of southwestern Tavari shores and partly borne from a desire to expand their tax and revenue base as the silver mines that had been the primary source of their wealth began to be depleted. While King Utor I, who finally unified the chiefs in 1304, was staunchly religious and codified the ''[[Tavaris#Ancestral Veneration|Tavat Avati]]'', he personally never publicly or (as far as is known) privately protested against the unique religious traditions of the west. It was not until later, especially during the reigns of King Vonar I (1479-1490) and Zaram I (1490-1496) after the emergence of Akronism proper, that violence broke out among and between Tavari clans for the specific reason of suppressing religious beliefs. This outright inter-religious violence faded during the reign of Kanor the Great (1496-1519) and, with some exceptions, especially in the mid-20th and early-21st centuries, remained rare afterward.

While western Tavaris was always less populated than the east and the south, and thus had less wealth in absolute terms, per capita the average wealth and income of people in the west has been similar to that of the east since unification. A powerful merchant economy grew in the major cities of the west, while agriculture remained the overwhelming majority of economic activity in the western interior. Sugarcane and rum production expanded, especially for export, and gradually crops from foreign regions of the world, primarily millet and rice, were introduced. Ancient volcanism enriched the soil of central Avnatra, particularly on and near the plateau, allowing for the cultivation of all kinds of crops that, in turn, enriched the economies of the port cities when they were sold in trade. In the year 1604, a census determined that Enaro Ttatražakai had surpassed NandratNuvrenon to become the second-largest city in the country after NuvrenonNandrat. And while Nandratthose wouldthree takecities backremained that title from time to time, especiallyclose in thepopulation immediateand aftermathchanged ofplaces thefrom Industrialtime Revolutionto in the late 18th centurytime, Enaro Ttatražakai is estimated by historians to have become the second-''wealthiest'' city in Tavaris around the same time and retain that title until Acronian independence.