Kittentopia
Kittentopia, also known by the name of its largest town, Kittenberg, is a theocratic state in the continent of Kittentopia, southwest of Prasta. The government of Kittentopia is based off of the Kittenist faith & its teachings. Established by Reid Ardere on Day 720 of year 11 AC, Kittentopia quickly established themselves as a strong regional & international power.
History
The Founding of Kittenberg
On day 720 of year 11 AC, Reid Ardere found himself upon the shores of the subcontinent previously known as Lesbis. The continent was occupied by the Pirate Authority of Snora at the time, but Reid was a man of faith. The terror of pirates had no effect upon him. In an abandoned house atop a mountain on the eastern coast, Reid established the city of Kittenberg. Soon, followers of the Kittenist faith began to flow into this place - a new safe haven for the Kittens. From Kittentopia, Reid would preach the faith to his followers, and they were blessed by his teachings. They would spread his word throughout the lands of Alathra - attracting much ire from the globe.
It wasn't long before the people of Kittentopia were challenged by the Pirate Authority of Snora. A citizen of Kittentopia, Hobbs, scammed a player out of $1,000. Outraged by the scam, the Pirates assembled a raiding party to attack the Kittens. The Kittens were low on equipment, but made up for it in greater numbers and organization. As the raiders assembled, the Kittens pounced and struck down the raiders one by one, driving the party out of their territory.
Shortly after, a new party was assembled by Snora - this time calling upon their allies to assist them in the fight. Actualia, Adelaa'r, Styveria, and Scarred Hollow all provided men to the fight against Kittenberg. The Kittens were better equipped for this battle, and despite the stronger numbers of the Snoran party, they were pushed off of the cliffs of Kittenberg to the ground below. This incident would lead the Kittens to term the cliff as the "Cliff of Hope" - for saving them from an otherwise outnumbered, losing battle.
After their second defeat, the Pirates of Snora sailed away and abroad. The departure of Snora left Lesbis to only Kittenberg & Peraselle. The quick departure of the heathen state left the Kittens with the determination to claim the whole of the subcontinent. Clearly, this was their litter box granted to them by the Supreme Kitty. High Priest Aaron Catticus would approach the leader of Peraselle, Bingi, and negotiate a deal for Kittenberg to own the whole of Lesbis for Peraselle to have claim over the surrounding islands.
With the subcontinent secured, Reid Ardere proclaimed the continent as Kittentopia - the land of the Kittens. With the foundation of their state, the Kittens had a place to call home. A land fit for their expansion and faith. They would send their prophets across the world to teach of the coming judgment of the Supreme Kitty.
The world, however, was still hostile to them. The prophet Mayynophobia sailed to the city of Bjrn to spread their faith, and was slain in cold blood by their residents. The Kittens marched onto their city - demanding repayment for this crime. Third party negotiators swarmed in, hoping to ease the tensions quickly boiling. However, archers atop the castle at Bjrn would open fire upon the Kittens, hitting the negotiators in the process. A fierce slaughter ensued, where the Kittens breached their castle & took their compensation from the corpses of the fallen.
The Great Kitten's March
With news of the massacre at Bjrn spreading throughout the world, many nations were at extreme unease. Blackthorn, the Lost Woods, the Church of John, Styveria, Adelaa'r, Steinnheimr, Nullhi, and NEAT would meet together. They signed a pact, known as the Anti-Kittenberg Coalition. The treaty outlined the terms of their cooperation, and the demands they sought to impose upon the Kittens. The terms of the AKC were for the ceding of the majority of Kittentopia's land, for the end of the Kittenist proselytization, for the culling of their diplomacy, and the arrest and trial of Kittentopia's high council.
The Kittens became aware of this coalition not long after its formation. Everyday was an anxious wait for their strike. Kittenist prophets would continue spreading their faith with full knowledge of the coalition, as they were instructed that to cease so would inform the opposition of their knowledge of the treaty. They would target the nations of the AKC with their preaching. Divinus Actualia would be a frequent place of preaching for the Kittens, as they were vocal opponents of the faith and proposed a competing faith to the Kittens. On Year 11, Day 1152 Aaron Catticus was attacked by Jack Harm - the leader of the Church of John. The Kittens would come to avenge the attack on Aaron, slaying Jack himself along with multiple attendees of the sermon. This massacre outraged much of the world, yet no action against the Kittens would ever come.
Tired of the bloodshed, and tired of waiting, the Kittens would opt to make the first move instead. Reid Ardere proclaimed the beginning of the Great Kitten's March, and declared war against the Church of John. The news that the Kittens had struck first sent shockwaves throughout the AKC - they were immediately on the backfoot. Divinus Actualia would quickly begin fortifying their city, and foreign support rushed to the Church as soon as the declaration was off. A coalition of 420,000 people would join in the defense of Divinus, compared to only 41,000 for the Kittens. The Kittens were not alone in this declaration, being joined by the Empire of Zydel in protest of the loss of their map claims. Despite the numerical advantages, the AKC was disorganized and unprepared for the fight. The Johnactualists would ultimately plan to surrender the battle, causing much of the AKC to back out of the war. When Blackthorn departed from the defense of Divinus, Jack Harm announced the unconditional surrender of the Church of John, & signed a peace treaty with the Kittens & Zydel.
Within this peace deal, the Kittens were granted a copy of the original AKC treaty. This treaty, authored by a council member of Blackthorn, contained multiple fabricated signatures to supposedly bolster their diplomatic credibility. Following the Church of John's surrender, the AKC became actively hostile to the Church of John, and chastised them for their surrender. With the full details of their plans outlined, High General Alair Ryker denounced the AKC for their cowardice, and dared them once more to declare war.
When the AKC refused, the Kitten's March continued against Steinnheimr. Quickly, a meeting was gathered between Kaeden of Steinnheimr and the High Council of Kittenberg. Kaeden was receptive to the Kitten’s overtures, and looking to avoid war, agreed to step into the leadership of Steinnheimr in replacement of their previous leader. Kaeden, while initially hostile to the Kittens, was someone they at least knew and could work with. Kaeden would become the leader of Steinnheimer, and Steinnheimer would pay reparations to Kittentopia for their involvement in the AKC.
With two consecutive surrenders, the AKC finally splintered apart. A cohesive opposition to the Kittens no longer existed. The existence of the Kittens and their nation was now a fact of life. Though the AKC was shattered, the Kittens saw one final battle in their path of retribution - a battle against the Commonwealth of Blackthorn. Blackthorn were considered one of the main backers and organizers of the AKC, so for them to leave unscathed was a non-starter.
The Wivamovian Rebellion
Hearing word of rebellion within Blackthorn, the Kittens pounced at the opportunity and secured a mercenary contract in support of the Wivamovian rebels. The Wivamovian rebels were small, but were backed by the rest of Ceyreto - with the notable exception of The Lost Woods (Another AKC member.) Zydel, Grander Khalikan, & Kittentopia would engage in war against the Commonwealth of Blackthorn for 2 weeks.
In the first battle, the siege began on Zethortal - the capital of Blackthorn. While the Wivamovian rebels overwhelmingly beat the Commonwealth of Blackthorn in combat, they were unable to reach the town center, and were pushed out. In the push out, the Kittens moved to siege the towns of Guldhir & Anishakovia - where the Commonwealth of Blackthorn was defeated. Additionally, Blackthorn would lay siege to both Arkstadt & Kittentopia, with no success.
In the second battle, the first siege was declared by Blackthorn on Arkstadt, quickly followed by a Wivamovian declaration on Zethortal. The defenses at Zethortal were breached within minutes by an underground blast miner group, leading to a quick seizure & capture of Blackthorn’s fortress. Meanwhile at Arkstadt, the siege was pitched & grueling. Zydel would hold the line on defense while the Kittens laied siege to Zethortal. Blackthorn would make significant progress on Arkstadt, but by the time the Zethortal siege finished, reinforcements quickly rushed into Arkstadt and drove Blackthorn out. With the siege lifted, a deep push into the Blackthorn center & east was called. The Kittens would march from New Pangolias to Faewood to Rukia, in each case seizing the towns without any opposition. Then, they would move to Marauders Cay - where a small defense garrison was defeated by the Kittens & the town captured. A final battle ensued at Azuria, where Zydel & the Kittens teamed to breach the town center, and capture the town.
Where the first battle had been only a minor success for the Wivamovians, Blackthorn held out hope from the defense of Zethortal. The crushing blow of the second battle would eliminate this hope. Shortly after, the leaders of Wivamovia, Zydel, Kittenberg, & Blackthorn would meet to discuss peace terms. With only moderate debate, a moderate peace deal was reached which satisfied all parties.