Éimi

Éimi is a country in the Zendari world. While its location is unknown and shrouded in secrecy, its historic isolated status is diminishing rapidly as a recent series of reforms have led to increased ties with other nations. Known for its high human development and status as one of the most progressive and technologically advanced places in the Zendari world, Éimi’s unique economy as an anarcho-collectivist territory thrives and has produced one of the most well educated as well as manually capable workforces known to man. Éimi’s education system is seen as second to none and the country is known for having the most doctors, architects and professors per capita, as well as the most foreign students at university. Éimi’s science, fishing, music and creative industries are leaders in both innovation and output.

The population is relatively small, estimated at around 600,000 according to the most recent census. The capital, Amelioria, has a population of around 75,000 whereas the largest city, Csokai, has a population of around 120,000.

The Era of the Four Kingdoms (c. 3600BCE-1219)
The majority population of the land now known as Éimi were from distinct ethnolinguistic groups found within the Shenkő people - the indigenous people of the land who had lived for years in the mountains near present-day Xobrania before migrating across the Zendari landscape in prehistoric times.

All Shenkő people have high cheekbones, thick eyebrows, above average height and almond shaped eyes. The Shenkőves are the “original” group who stayed in the mountains. identifiable by their characteristic dark hair and grey eyes in contrast to the varied appearances within the other group, who speak the Shenkő language. The Anglo-Shenkő are a Celtic branch of the Shenkő people. The Catalankő are an Iberian branch. The Russian Shenkő are a Slavic branch. To this day, the Shenkő people are the largest ethnic group in Éimi, and a thriving Xobranian speaking minority still survive.

Four kingdoms were established. Thearia, in the north-west, was English speaking, with a population made up mostly of the Anglo-Shenkő. Catalan-speaking southwestern Xoc was majority Catalankő with significant Xobranian and Nuevan minorities. Shenerlai, the largest kingdom, situated in the south east, had a population which was mostly Shenkőves with minorities from the other nations, making it the most diverse. Northeastern Narodnyy was mostly Russian Shenkő with other Slavic minorities.

For years, the kingdoms kept to themselves, even building fortified walls, remnants of which can still be seen today. While Narodnyy, Shenerlai and Xoc all became constitutional monarchies some time before 1400BCE, Thearia remained an absolute monarchy for its entire existence.

Thearian Empire (1219-1500)
In 1219, the King of Thearia, Jonastus II, declared war with all three neighbouring kingdoms. He invaded Xoc first, followed by Narodnyy six months later, and claimed their land as part of the newly created Thearian Empire, changing his title from King to Emperor.

Shenerlai’s resistance to his brutal campaign is well documented, and went on for five years, but eventually the kingdom fell to Thearian forces. It is estimated that well over 50,000 people were killed by Jonastus’ forces. A long line of Thearian Emperors followed him and ruled with an iron fist, squashing any unrest with violence and exploiting the population and resources of the three former kingdoms to benefit the Anglo-Shenkő.

The Shian Revolution and Two State Era (1500-1918)
In 1500, a Shenkőves merchant, Serlek Shian, established the Colleghe Shenkőves in the village of Kiana, declaring it a school free for all of the people in the Thearian empire. Marginalised people alongside supportive members of the Anglo-Shenkő flocked to what was now the city of Kiana, and it thrived with the school at its centre. Revolutionary libertarian leftist ideas began to spread within the community, and an educated population began to question the circumstances they were living in. It is thought that this is where and when voluntary help and supporting others became a key point of Éian society. This is fiercely protected to this day, as is the sharing of property and public ownership of industry – also ideas that began in Kiana.

Finally, an uprising began in 1538, declared the Shian Revolution in honour of the man who started it all by creating the school. The forces in Kiana resisted Thearian forces for over fifty years, and when the empire’s forces became too weak, overpowered them. Kiana became the name of a free territory that encompassed three quarters of present day Éimi, with the City of Kiana as its capital; the remaining quarter belonged to a state known as the Therian Republic.

Relatively little is known about Kiana and virtually nothing about the Therian Republic is known about it as nearly everything of or referring to the time was destroyed during the twentieth century – the Colleghe Shenkőves is regarded as its best surviving relic as the university has continued as a beacon of excellence, consistently and currently ranked in the top three in the Zendari world.

The Flaming Revolution (1919)
In 1918, a revolutionary group within the territory was exposed. Known as the “Juche Front of Kiana” and led by Russian Shenkő militant Nadia Akinfeyevna, they declared independence as the Shenkő Juche Republic, with her as Supreme leader, claiming sovereignty over the entirety of the land of present day Éimi.

The Free Territory refused to recognise this and formed a resistance. They were represented at a global level by Evelyn Shian, a descendant of Serlek Shian. She proved deeply unpopular due to her forgetful and irritable nature and is noted as a major factor for the huge jump in popularity for the Juche Front of Kiana.

When the Free Territory’s forces were defeated, Akinfeyevna burned all artefacts referring to the country, declaring herself the victor and naming the uprising the Flaming Revolution. Reluctantly, the Shenkő Juche Republic was recognised around the world.

SJR Era (1920-1976)
Life in the Shenkő Juche Republic was radically different to that in the free territory. The state was extremely authoritarian, and Akinfeyevna was known to exploit the working class population while convincing them she was working for their benefit. She quashed any unrest with violence. These two things led to widespread comparisons between her and the old Emperors of Thearia.

Her most infamous act was the Kiana Genocide, when she killed over three quarters of the mostly Shenkőves city of Kiana after protests took place there. She passed leadership onto her son, David Akinfeyev, in 1956 at the age of 97, dying two years later.

Under his tenure as Supreme Leader, famines and droughts grew more frequent as the resources in the land slowly started to dwindle, and the violence became more extreme, with protests becoming increasingly frequent. David was known to be prejudiced against the Shenkő people as his family weren’t from the country, and he frequently carried out using soldiers of one Shenkő ethnic group to attack another. He was assassinated by an unknown Catalankő individual in 1976, and his allies were exiled. The unknown assassin is a popular historical figure in the country, celebrated often through art and urban legends.

Ethnic Division and Four State War (1976-1992)
Akinfeyev’s method of attacking led to tension between the ethnic groups, who segregated themselves based on the ancient kingdoms once again. These 4 unrecognised states ruthlessly attacked eachother, leading to a war that lasted until 1992 when a ceasefire was put in place by several international organizations. It is thought that over one million people died in the war, a reason as to why Éimi’s population is so small.

Katenka Csokai Peace Process (1992-1999)
In 1992, Katenka Csokai, a Shenkőves housewife, completed a degree in Politics at the Colleghe Shenkőves. Having intensely studied what was happening around her for her thesis, she devised a peace plan, and thinking nothong of it, submitted it to the international organizations who had managed to put a ceasefire in place. Unexpectedly, they not only noticed her plan but officially approved it and immediately employed her as the head negotiator.

She held discussions with different ethnic leaders and was known for her tolerance and patience. She introduced people to the left-libertarian ideas those running the Free Territory of Kiana had, which proved extremely popular with the general population, and were accepted by the four leaders.

In 1999, the states were formally unified into the internationally recognised Free Territory of Amelioraï. Each state became a region.

The Anglo-Shenkő region chose the name of Hiraeth, meaning homesickness, to “signify their dream of a home for both them and others to live in harmony coming true.”

The Russian Shenkő region chose the name of Nagornyy, meaning mountainous, noting the “mountainous landscape, each one a symbol of the steep path to peace.”

The Catalan Shenkő region chose the name of La Pau, meaning the peace, to “show and mark the commitment of the people to peace.”

The Shenkőves region chose the name of Shenerlai. While this was initially discouraged as it was the ancient state’s name, it was ultimately allowed given the fact that “the historic kingdom of Shenerlai resisted the Therian Empire in the fifth century as the diverse population were so committed to peace.”

A college at the university, many streets worldwide and the city of Kiana were renamed as Csokai in her honour, and a statue of her stands outside the main presidential residence in Éimi, known as Katenka House. She was elected as the first ceremonial “President” in 2000, and held the position until her death in 2009 in a car accident. Two weeks of national mourning were observed, and Katenka's grave is one of the country's most visited places, with tourists from around the Zendari world visiting to show respect.

Boom Time (2000-2017)
During the twenty first century, the industries in Amelioraï developed rapidly, making it the world leader in many sectors that it is today. It went from a war torn place with one of the lowest GDP and HDI rankings to a modern and beautiful place with one of the top five in each within ten years. In 2009, the death of Katenka Csokai led to the election of a new president – Nate Loixares, a famous ice skater who had triumphed in the recent Winter Games.

The “Quiet Uprising” (2017-18)
In late 2016 Loxaires attempted to bypass the system of direct democracy and make his position more than that of an international representative of the country - that of a leader. Knowing their past, the people rallied around and ultimately held a referendum in 2017 that ousted him as leader and exiled him, electing fellow athlete, model and singer Amelie Nadyu-Shenkőves in his place. This is known as the Quiet Uprising in popular culture.

Nadyushchenko Peace Reforms (2018)
In summer 2018, Amelie Nadyu-Shenkőves decided to finally put to end the remaining ethnic division in the country, which she views along with many others as contradictory to the left wing values of the free territory. Listening to representatives from all groups, she learned that Russian Shenkő people were still being discriminated against due to the actions of Akinfeyevna and her son, and that Shenkőves people were still given priority for many jobs, as well as the Shenkő language being prioritised in the country despite Russian being the primary language of more people. In response, she held successful referenda, which implemented new anti-discrimination laws, changed the country name to Éimi, rather than the Shenkő language name of Amelioraï, and added more about each culture, language and education on social issues and acceptance into the school curriculum. In a final move, she changed her name to that of her father – the Russian version of her name, Nadyushchenko, making these changes along with educational and workplace reforms to promote true equality. These reforms have been widely praised and seen as a final end to the ethnic division in the territory, with one academic stating that “Katenka Csokai would be truly proud of Nadyushchenko’s work for finally achieving her dream.”