Arncora

The sovereign nation of Arncora is one of the dominant nations on the planet Ebycene. It is arguably the most technologically advanced nation, and attempts to use that technology to maintain a military stranglehold on the surrounding regions.

History
Originally a part of the singular supercontinent of Ebycene, Arncora was one of the two regions to remain attached to the mainland following the Fracture (the other being the Asagari Desert). During its early years, the two settling populations of Arncorans and Rivenians lived in peace under one banner. After the Fracture, the Arncorans took most of the power, but allowed the latter group to remain in their homes, provided that they had survived the geographic fallout. While the valley that had once existed north of the territory flattened and became a desert, on the other side of the Detara Mountains the region surrounding Arncora flourished. Eventually, it was taken over by technological extremists, who pushed the remaining Rivenian population to the surrounding island chain and killed the few dissenters that stood in their way.

Geography
Due to its position near the mountain range and its proximity to the ocean, Arncora has developed a temperate climate. That being said, most of the area is taken up by buildings crafted from plastics and polymers, with most of the natural flora and fauna nearly being eradicated. Water sources and oxygen recycling are controlled manually by massive subterranian structures on which the foundations of the cities are built.

Government
A mix of military totalitarianism and strict theocracy, Arncora is headed by High Priest Iason Finnin and his wife, Lord-Commander Perynia Finnin. The former controls the cult of technology that pervades all of Arncoran society, while the latter enforces the nation's laws through extreme force. As long as anyone can remember, the High Priest has been male, and his wife has always headed the military, though it isn't certain how that tradition started. Whichever position holds more power is anyone's guess, as neither can function without the other.

Society
Arncoran society is founded entirely on the belief that man can control and shape its own destiny through two things: willpower and technology. The Arncoran people see their participation in the Fracture as both a badge of honour and a burden of responsibility, as they view themselves as the liberators of mankind, and are therefore responsible to fix the situation concerning the matter of the dead. The guilt felt by most citizens is almost pathological, and has become a driving force across most of the nation's motivations.

Scripture as dictated by the High Priest for generations has declared that the only way for the souls of the dead to leave the body is for all of the nations of Ebycene to return to a state of unification under the Arncoran beliefs, either by force or by negotiation. Given the strict structure of Arncoran society, most nations have declined to willingly be ruled by them. As such, the nation has systematically absorbed almost every other smaller nation and assimilated it into their society.