Krippa

Krippa is a country occupying the southern half of Munjang-Îue, and is notorious for being the "drop-off" place for those with Zaderism. To the north lies the neighboring Kingdom of Krawvill, and to the east lies the mainland of Tsominku. To the west lie seas unknown. Because every race produces Zaderei, Krippa is something of a melting pot and conglomerate of different races and cultures. The only species that are conspicuously absent are Arakos, who keep their Zaderei for experimental purposes; Wakuda, who care little about differences; and male Shinzoka, due to the pre-existing rarity of males in the species.

Its capital city, political and largest trading hub is Daarihk in the state of Fujin-Îa, while its largest military center is Duras in the state of Bandou and its largest economic hub was in Alinor in nearby Fujin-Xu. However, the former two both changed with the fall of the republic and the rise of the 79th Krippan Empire, which swiftly became the most notorious military power in the world after its rise. A nation infamous for its military prowess, Krippa's two most notorious regiments in recent history are the 251st Children's Division, consisting of 1,938 young boys and girls that all survived the Siege of Shangda-Fei, and "Regiment 648", of which almost nothing is actually known.

Geography and Climate
Because of the Sasabé Mountains, much of Krippa's landscape is arid or semiarid, with rocky, mountainous terrain in the north, spreading out to vast plains southward. the southern coasts and shores give way to lush greenery and vibrant coasts, leading Krippa to have a rather diverse climate as a country overall. Its latitude leads to semi-warm summers, although the altitude of many Krippan locations also means that they have cooler winters as well.

While Krippa's borders have changed multiple times, particularly with its northern neighbor Krawvill, the most common borders remain the Sasabé Mountains due to their natural height and difficulty to navigate. Similarly, with both sides showing moderate animosity towards one another, it is easier to secure one side of the mountains and hold it defensively than to try and reclaim it.

History
In contrast to its northern neighbor, Krippa's history is rich and diverse, with unstable expanding and retracting borders that fluctuate with whether the nation is currently a republic or an empire. For centuries and ages, it has been a "dumping ground" for Zaderic individuals of any race. While some cultures, such as Korziña, Tazuké, and Shahar-Eka are rather welcoming and tolerant of Zaderei, many Zaderei voluntarily go to Krippa regardless, and so it is historically and presently known as a Zaderic nation.

Since its founding, Krippa has often been divided into multiple different states. As of the 172nd Age, it has been divided into 38 different states, which have remained the core of the Republic of Krippa ever since. While other states, regions, and provinces from neighboring Krawvill or nearby Tsominku have sometimes been annexed as states through war or other means, the 38 that comprise modern Krippa are considered the "core states". Since then, however, the country had fluctuated between smaller, more peaceful republics, and powerful, dominating empires that have spread throughout Munjang-Îue and even onto The Mainland. The country has or has had over 900 different military divisions, and of these, it is agreed on that Regiment 648 is the most influential--an ironic statement, considering that it is the subject of much debate, including its existence.

181st Age
Krippa's cycle of republics and empires continued throughout this age, and the nation was a major player in the Great Jalenga War, where the 64th Krippan Empire joined with the forces that fought the Jalenga. The 64th empire lasted a total of 301 years and 2 days, and had annexed territory from nearly every nation. While other Krippan Empires were larger or lasted longer, the 64th empire took the honour of not only the most powerful Krippan Empire in history, but strongest nation in Mencu for the 181st Age, beating out the Sayenzi Imperium, which they helped cripple before the Jalenga disappeared from Mencu entirely

182nd Age
Many more republics and empires rose and fell as the 182nd Age progressed. By the time of the events of The Rebirth of Krippa, the republic was in an extremely fragile state as rebels from the south and Shinzoka from the north threatened to tear the nation apart. This massive war culminated in the infamous Siege of Shangda-Fei, which was broken by the efforts of Liberty Tezeru Mežkiel 4. She later helped lead an expansionist campaign to reclaim the lost parts of the country, and with the help of the 648th Regiment, the republic was fully dissolved and in its place rose one of the mightiest empires history had ever known. As of the year 4708 of the 182nd Age the current entity is the 79th Krippan Empire, which spans the entirety of Munjang-Îue.

Unlike the Republic of Krippa or many empires before it, the 79th Krippan Empire relocated many of the positions of power. The Krippan Triumverate, formerly comprised Daarihk, Alinor, and Duras, was dissolved. The political and military centers of Krippa were moved to Xin-Moxige, which was without question the most powerful and defensible city in all of Krippa, and arguably all of Mencu, with its only real contender being the city of North Serénez. While Duras and Daarihk both lost their positions in the Triumvirate, Alinor actually remained the economic capital of Krippa, and with the help of the Zulerzé, the city became the 2nd most formidable economic power in the world, which in turn greatly aided the strength of Imperial Krippa.

Demographics
Krippa is a land of diversity, with similar minded individuals inhabiting all 38 states. Since the primary inhabitants are Zaderei, Krippa sees individuals from every race, and is the only country to be able to boast of having members of nearly every race on Mencu within its borders. While Wakuda and even a few of the ever-elusive Talaki have been seen on Krippa, it is one of only two nations that does not have an Arakan population at all, due to the Arakos being pushed out of the country in the 177th Age, and thus far having made no successful attempts to reestablish a presence. However, as of the events of The Voice of the Serén, the Arakan population of Krippa becomes 1, due to the presence of a woman known as 306.

Because of the gender disparity that exists among Zaderei, Krippa has many more women than men. However, due to most of the non-Zaderic races having a slightly higher ratio of males to females, many men choose to venture into Krippa to try and find a partner--and many of them are successful in this endeavour. However, since the Shinzoka Gender Disparity is also affected by the Zaderic gender disparity, male Zaderic Shinzoka are almost non-existent in general; and since there is a great deal of animosity between Krippans and Krawvillites to the point of Zaderic Shinzoka and non-Zaderic Shinzoka despising one another, there are no male Shinzoka in Krippa at all.

Prior to the 182nd Age, Krippa also used to host a great many Jalenga. While they were unaffected by Zaderism (since they were the ones who created it in the first place), they mingled with the Zaderei a great deal to watch the development of the mutation they had created. Since Zivia makes one of her homes in this country, it also technically has a Jalenga population, even if said Zivia is the only one of her kind who remains. It was and is also home to many Kumenza, whose grey skin and exotic blue-colored eyes and markings make them popular sights. Other Zaderei incidentally treat them as equals.

Military Prowess
Krippa's military prowess was headquartered in the city of Duras in Bandou for centuries, prior to the establishment of the 79th Krippan Empire. While even today its military might remains potent in this state, the primary seat of military power was since relocated to Shangda-Fei in Xin-Moxige, after the successful repelling of the Siege of Shangda-Fei. While the people of Bandou did not originally approve of this change, they were given little choice in the matter, and so eventually came to accept it, and miraculously did so peacefully.

Krippa has always been a military powerhouse due to the fighting spirit of Zaderic individuals, and the fact that Krippa has long been notorious for its active use of children, both in training and actual combat. There are currently 964 active divisions, with an unofficial 965th division known as Regiment 648 also existing off the books. During the Imperial Periods, Krippa's military strength seems to increase greatly, which has led other nations to fear or be wary of them, and in turn causing Krippa to be something of a bellwether in terms of military might.

Despite the question ethics behind such a practice, Krippan Children's Divisions tend to be highly successful regiments due to exploiting moral codes that many other nations have against killing children. With individuals between the ages of 4 and 25 among its most prominent members, a caveat that most Krippans prefer not to talk about is the traumatic experiences these children experience, and many end up growing up as broken individuals. Examples of such victims include Tenoko, Liberty, Lelani, Savash, and several others.

An unintended side-effect of these military figures, however is that many children grow up to be lawful and disciplined citizens of society, due to the military history many of their mothers (who were Krippans and/or Zaderei). A downside is that in the absence of a stable father figure, many of these children just continue the fierce and unforgiving cycle that their mothers perpetuated. Naturally, there have been countless campaigns, both in and out of Krippa, to try and end the practice of Krippa's child soldiers, but have enjoyed minimal success thus far.

Government and Economy
While both Republican and Imperial Krippa have their reputations, the latter is particularly more prominent, and the world tends to watch Krippa a lot closer when it returns to imperialism. Regardless of the government at the time though, Krippa has a very powerful economy due to their self-sufficiency, but also due to open trade with the Madizi of Matsakan and the Dorenzu of Korziña, two of the most powerful economies on Tsominku.

Government
Krippa's two most popular forms of government are either a democratic republic (when the nation is a republic), or an absolute monarchy (when the nation has reverted to an empire). Despite the connotations, there are statistical correlations between increased levels of prosperity that come with the unity and nationalism of Imperial Krippa, although scholars also debate that it was more warlike, leading to many a moral debate about which is worse between unity and war or liberty and poverty; and so on.

While Liberty stepped down after the empire had been stabilized, rather than turn over power to the Republic or dissolve the position of Divine Empress, she instead abdicated and placed Idoma Akako Larson 7 upon the throne, and he promptly brought Liberty back on as his right-hand woman. While this power move was extremely controversial due to Liberty's popularity as a ruler, many people soon found that very little changed between Liberty's reign and Idoma's reign, leading many to accept that Liberty was in fact still wielding some level of power.

Economy
Due to many Ages of isolation and many nations turning a blind eye, Krippa became fiercely independent and self-reliant, and is easily able to sustain itself in modern times. However, in a move to not only encourage friendly diplomatic relationships with other nations as well as bolster its own economy, Krippa trades regularly with most nations on Tsominku apart from Kroggné, although ironically does not have any diplomatic or economic association with their northern neighbours in Krawvill until after the empire destroyed Ozukutai by erupting Scarlet Mountain.

While its political hub was in Fujin-Îa and its military hub was in Bandou, Krippa's ecomonic hub was in nearby Fujin-Xu, in its capital city of Alinor. After the 79th Krippan Empire revolutionized the layout of the nation, Alinor (and by extension, Fujin-Xu) was the only city of the three to maintain its status as a hub, while the political capitol and military center were both moved to Shangda-Fei. After making a peculiar deal with the Zulerzé, the city of Alinor saw incredible economic and technological growth until some called it "The Zulera City of Munjang-Îue". To this day, there is no city on Mencu that matches the economic influence and power of Alinor short of Zulera City itself.

Religion & Culture
Krippan culture varies from state to state, with some states, such as the coastal ones, focusing more on trade and economy, while others such as Bandou or Xin-Moxige focusing more on military might, considering their closeness to the Krawvillzé border.

Culture
Krippa has always had a heavy military-centric culture, and as such, emphasis on elemental forming has always been an integral part of the culture. It is also one of the few places where Lakamaté and other Tzurendi aren't feared, but rather targetted as heroes or celebrities by nature. Krippans respect individuals of strength or power, as well as leaders who lead by example rather than from the safety of the throne. It is not uncommon for Krippans to rise up against their current rulers to incite change, which is part of why the country fluctuates between a republic and an empire so frequently throughout history.

Krippa is divided into 38 or more states that have individual governments, but that answer to a federal government in Fujin-Îa when the nation is a republic, and to the Emperor and/or Empress (also usually located in Fujin-Îa) when the country is an empire. Since the nation consists primarily of ostracized Zaderei and a large number of Kumenza, all of whom still hold a freewheeling Jalenga-style attitude, they tend to hold little regard for other international treaties or agreements, which makes them dangerous militants ion the eyes of many others. The 79th Krippan Empire was an anomaly in this regard, having moved the political capitol of the nation to Shangda-Fei, Xin-Moxige.

On the other hand, Krippa is also a safe haven for the exiled and the damned. since many people are superstitious of Zaderei, Kumenza, and Tzurendi, many of them get ostracized and thus try to find a country where they are treated as equals. While Korziña and Tazuké are fairly accepting of them, the prime locations for these unusual individuals to settle down are Krippa and Shahar-Eka. Because these individuals are often jaded, and due to the general grey morality of Tzurendi, Krippa's justice system and overall social views on mroality vary greatly from most other nations, which is why it is still often viewed as a renegade nation, of sorts.

Religion
Due to being an amalgamation of different people from different cultures, Krippa's religious practices are something of a melting pot of all of these, with the end result being something completely new. Nearly all of the gods are venerated in some form, from the Kasil and Vartiz Pantheons all the way to Leaxyk himself. Various practices from every civilization have come together in Krippa and have been gradually moulded and reformed into near-unique rites and behaviours on their own. As such, temples dedicated to nearly every deity and religion are present in Krippa, including those of the Shinzoka.

Role in the Series
Krippa plays an essential role throughout the series, appearing in most of the volumes, and being mentioned in the few that it isn't actually visited in. It wields a powerful influence over the world, and thus shapes many of the stories both directly and indirectly.

The Crown of Zivia
While there are numerous Zaderei including Zelgiaz Katara and her daughter in The Crown of Zivia, as well as the notorious Zulera, Krippa itself is only mentioned a few times in passing, where it is implied that they are militarizing. However, none of the central characters pay it a visit in this volume.

The Crusade of Zulera
Krippa is not actually visited properly in The Crusade of Zulera, although the titular Zulera speaks of it several times, and it is implied she took several trips there. Since Zaderei are immune to vampirism, however, the ensuing vampire crisis that protagonist California goes and deals with takes place on The Mainland instead.

The Shadows of Shinzoka
Krippa becomes a hub of activity for protagonist Asami in The Shadows of Shinzoka. With the Kagero-Kiza on the move and militarizing, Krippa reacts accordingly, anticipating an attack. Asami helps the Krippans and later the Renkida, to get to the bottom of this mystery.

The Rebirth of Krippa
As the name suggests, Krippa plays an enormous role in The Rebirth of Krippa, which focuses on the efforts and ambitions of Liberty and Zadok and their efforts to restore Krippa to its pre-war glory. The result, while originally unintentional, later became the notorious 79th Krippan Empire.

The Seer of Koldia
In light of the events of the previous volume, Krippa once again plays a significant role in The Serer of Koldia, with the fledgling empire being threatened by Shitenou extremists who moved into view after the quelling of the Kukaña Rebellion; and thus the reolsution of that conflict plays a major part in the story.

The Voice of Shenhua
Krippa once again plays an integral role in The Voice of Shenhua, as Varsha Zenzi Zakau restores Liberty's Krippan Empire and proceeds to lead Krippa in a crusade that wipes its neighbor and former enemy Krawvill completely off the map. From here, it becomes abundantly clear that the 79th Krippan Empire is here to stay for a long time.