Belhajaer

The Kingdom of Belhajaer is a large independent kingdom located in the Al Miiradaar Canyon, inside hollowed out remains of collapsed ancient mining tunnels. Belhajaer currently has the richest economy in the Mortal World due to being the trade capital of the Mortal World.

Belhajaer is also the leading manufacturer of Gold Standard Currency, however, this venture can have negative side effects on Belhajaer's economy if Authorania or the Azerath Nations goes into an economic slump. Because of this, Belhajaer mainly focuses on trade and tourism.

History
Belhajaer's history begins in the Morthanian Era, when nomadic miners settled in the area now occupied currently by Belhajaer. These miners created the Belhajaer Clan and began to mine the terracotta rich mountains of Al Miiradaar.

At the time, Morthanian citizens were infatuated with terracotta and the Belhajaer Clan was taking advantage and filling demand. Morthanian businesses established close relationships with the Belhajaer Clan, which not only caused the clan to become richer but also caused its culture to expand.

Belhajaer continued to mine terracotta from the mountains for centuries even though demand was very low. To make more money from the little export the clan had, they decided to raise export tax of terracotta, which angered Morthanian businessmen who decided to use their political power to send a small portion of the Morthanian army to the clan and wipe them out. The Morthanians were successful although they did not occupy the Belhajaer Clan's former territory as the land yielded no use.

Although the Belhajaer Clan was wiped out, the remanence of their surviving population established a small village where they lived for another couple of centuries. Around this time, the massive abandoned mine began to sustain structural damage as rain water began to seep through and cause weakening of supports. Eventually, the structural damage was large enough that the entire mine collapsed in on itself, leaving behind a massive crater.

Shortly after the collapse, the small Belhajaer Clan decided to clear the crater of debris and settle inside of it. Their choice of migration came from the potential threat from the growing nation of Authorania, which was being flooded by Morthanian refugees. Due to the concealment the crater provided, Belhajaer remained undiscovered by Authorania until the construction of Cannerberry Palace, when construction workers noticed smoke pluming from inside the mountain.

Today, Belhajaer has the richest economy in the Mortal World. Due to their strong alliance with Authorania and the Azerath Nations, Belhajaer is a main trading hub for both of the superpowers.

Politics
Belhajaer is a Constitutional Monarchy, with the King being the head of state but his powers being regulated by The Citizens Voice and his own cabinet.

The Citizens Voice is an office of the government which comprises of officials elected by Belhajaer citizens. The Citizens Voice deals with legislation and works in conjunction with the King's cabinet to create, vote and pass laws. The term for a member is 4 years and a member can be reelected indefinitely.

Another branch of the Belhajaer government is the High Justice, which is a body of 6 internally elected officials who interpret law and oversee major court cases. The High Justices are also tasked with keeping the royal family in line and they have the ability to charge the royal family with crimes. High Justices are internally elected, meaning they are elected by members of The Citizens Voice. High Justices are required to serve in The Citizens Voice, although how long is not specified. Although a member of The Citizens Voice can be elected as a High Justice within their first year, this is extremely rare. Members who have been serving in The Citizens Voice for many years are often more likely to become a High Justice. A High Justice's term is life long, with a seat being filled after the death of a High Justice. Although any member of The Citizens Voice can become a High Justice, it is always a member who has dedicated their lives to becoming a High Justice that gets the spot.

Military
Although Belhajaer rarely gets involved in wars, they do have a formidable and well equipped army. The Belhajaer Army is made up completely of volunteers who are all in reserve status in peacetime. Although Belhajaer's soldiers are on reserve during peacetime, that does not mean the army is inactive. Belhajaer does not have an official police force, so policing the population and enforcing law is carried out by the army reserves. This police force also defends Belhajaer's valuable trade networks. When the reserves have many soldiers, reserve soldiers rotate through a period of being police officers. If the reserve force is low, the reservists carry out their duty of being police officers full time.

Belhajaer does not have a Navy, although they do contract a small fleet of civilian vessels to patrol their territorial waters, much like Authorania's Reserve Navy Force.

Banner
Belhajaer's banner is yellow with a red cross. This is an iteration of the Belhajaer Clan's banner, which was yellow with a red stripe going lengthwise. It is believed that Belhajaer was trying to better identify themselves with the Elves by using the "Elven Cross" found on the banners of Elven nations.

Foreign Relations
Belhajaer retains strong relationships with foreign nations in order to guarantee good trade. The Belhajaer government has worked hard to keep a strong and faithful relationship with both Authorania and the Azerath Nations.

Belhajaer rarely has enemies outside of barbaric invader nations that threaten their trade networks. Due to the alliance the nation has made with the two superpowers, threats and actions from unified nations and gangs is rare and Belhajaer and the other nations using the trade network just have to deal with rogue bandits and raiders.

Ethnic Groups
Belhajaer is home to an extremely diverse population due to their trading empire. A majority of Belhajaer's population is populated by High Elves, however, there is a strong presence of Humans and other races within the nation.

Culture
Belhajaer's culture is very similar to Authorania's due to Authorania's influence on the nation. While Belhajaerians practice the Testamentary Religion and speak Authoranian, Belhajaer's culture is a mix of many cultures. One big example of Belhajaer's mixed culture is their dedication to brothels in the Glowlamp District. This district was made for travelers to put money into Belhajaer's economy, however, Authoranian culture that Belhajaer's culture is largely based on, looks down on the existence of brothels.

Geography
Belhajaer is located in the Al Miiradaar Canyon. Climate ranges from hot in higher altitudes to cooler in lower altitudes. Due to Belhajaer being within a crater, the kingdom is generally cooler than the surrounding area, with the farmland on the edge of the crater being warmer.

Belhajaer's most dangerous natural disaster is floods. Floods in the kingdom are rare due to the little rainfall the canyon experiences, however, city planners have implemented various mechanisms and canals to divert flood waters and keep flood waters from pooling inside the crater.