Artashia

Artashia (IPA: /ɑɹˈteɪʒə/, Iquis: Rtāšē [rtɑˈʃe], Artashian: Rtahašai) is a planet in the Coalition of Allied Star Systems, and the homeworld of the human ethno-cultural group of Artashians.

History

The human Yahatan culture appeared on Artashia around 350 AAI. Its civilization thrived for five centuries until their downfall in the 900s AAI, likely due to plague.

Artashia was rediscovered by Hevans in 1632 AAI. It was named Ortagašai in Old Iquis ('blue-green place'), after the blue-green hue of the planet.

The first colony ships arrived on Artashia arrived in 1778 AAI by Hevan pioneers. The untapped resources of Artashia soon attracted many more prospective settlers that the world's population soon reached one million in 1796 AAI.

The Artashian Colonial Authority was established in 1800 AAI, as a neutral representative that sought to mediate disputes between various Hevan nation-states who began to divide up the planet for their own gain. Many treaties were signed to prevent irresponsible ecological abuse.

Culture

Artashians associate their homeworld with Enahu, a deity of life and nature, mentioned in many sacred texts in the various early human religions in the Settled Systems. They believe the planet to be under the domain of Enahu. Maintaining the delicate balance between the needs of sustaining a human civilization and preserving as much nature as possible led to a culture of communal sustainability.

This ideology, as the planet began to face issues of overpopulation, led to the development of faihātlirnāb ('towards the heart'), an extreme interpretation of Artashian environmental conservatism where Artashia will serve as the capital world of an interstellar colonial empire which would offworld the most environmentally-damaging infrastructure. Faihātlirnāb culminated in the forming of the Star Republic of Artashia. For a century, Artashia waged war across the Settled Systems, bringing worlds such as Rwoth and Heva under their domain as vassal worlds and harvesting their natural resources and labour for the benefit of the inhabitants of Artashia.