Next was Clause Nine, which gave unprecedented rights to the people. It described them as a “fourth branch” of government where they could propose and vote on referendums through a simple majority that could override the Miktsrod or the Royal Court, giving the people ultimate power over the government. It also defined what inalienable rights the people had, including freedom of speech, right to bear arms, and right to privacy. Future laws, rulings, and referendums further helped clarify what the Verfa Zurk meant.
The final clause, Clause Ten, established five major Provinces named after cities within them: Bleu in the Northeast, Moskova in the East, Barselo in the South-Southwest, Hangart in the West, and Zok in the Northwest. The people within these provinces elected a Governor on the first Sunday of October every five years to run the province.
These provinces consisted of 150 Boroughs that elected a Burster[26]. The Burster ran the borough and was elected every five years on the first Sunday in October as well. While these provinces and boroughs had the ability to make laws, they were required to abide by certain rules imposed by the Miktsrod, Verfa Zurk, Royal Court rulings, or referendums by the people.
These changes took three years to implement, but on January 12, 1785, the changes were approved, effectively becoming law. Later that year, the nation would elect Grover Huns as the first President. Under President Huns, the nation discovered the nation of Halusnek, which they learned were people who had fled persecution from Reylo. Believing their lost cousins would one day serve as an important ally, President Huns established relations with Halusnek, forming an economic and military alliance with the nation.
However, there were some in Halusnek who didn’t want to befriend the Zurks, believing they should remain isolated from their cousins. Believing their nation was endangered, some military leaders tried to lead a coup. Yet, they were easily stopped, and most were executed. The few who did survive, along with their supporters, fled in exile and founded the nation of Omericoa[27]. Yet, by the 1880s, Omericoa abandoned its isolationist approach and would open up relations with almost every nation of Zentari.
Before the discovery of Halusnek, during the 1750s, the Zurks discovered Wysteria, Tur Galnos, and Vincra, and soon they formed a strategic alliance that promoted free trade and brought new ideas. These ideas and the accompanying increase in wealth would lead to an Industrial Revolution in Zurkerx during the 1760s. Believed to have originated in the city of Bleu, it spread quickly throughout Zurkerx as factories sprang up, income rose, and the population grew exponentially. Soon, other nations felt this Industrial Revolution and by the 1770s, their own Industrial Revolutions took hold. However, these Industrial Revolutions would lead to horrendous working conditions as greed became palpable, leading to the creation of a new ideology to challenge Einnerism.
Demanding better working conditions and more power, workers across the nation went on strike, shutting down factories. These workers were inspired by an article written by Renee Demos called Demokrism[28] in 1842. In her article, Renee called for the working class to seize power from the government through democratic means and form a one-party state. She condemned the Verfa Zurk, which she claimed promoted a false sense of liberty. The only true time people were free was when the Vorhs created the Aussvorh and selected a Vorhrer[29] to implement public ownership on society.
This would require changing Verfa Zurk into a one-party state, forming the Aussvorh by the Vorhs and selecting the Vorhrer where they would nationalize the land and economy, forming an industrial union for each sector. The Vorhrer and Vorhs served for life and would work collectively to formulate policies to protect the working class from the threat of Einneristic ideals, though the Vorhrer had the final say regardless of the laws on hand. However, the Vorhrer could be impeached by a majority of Vorhs if they deemed the Vorhrer incompetent. When the Vorhrer or Vorh retired, died, or was impeached, the Aussvorh would nominate other Vorhs, where they required approval from the working class.
While most of her ideals were rejected on the basis of irrational thinking, some of her ideals did inspire workers, causing strikes that lasted for three years as they demanded better working conditions and power in the workplace, stuttering economic growth. Fearing that Demokrism would eventually solidify and lead to the fall of the Empire, the government passed legislation that prohibited poor working conditions and gave individuals a choice to join a union, eroding the effects of Demokrism, although its ideals were more prevalent in nations such as Tur Galnos and Vincra.
Despite government intervention to protect workers, however, Demokrism quietly continued to reverberate throughout Zurkerx, leading to a growing movement. Leading the Demokrist movement was a man named Myles Kropos, who founded the political party Gewerksma[30] in 1867. Like Renee Demos, he sought to achieve her utopia by taking advantage of the democratic process, believing that his party’s peaceful intentions would show the people its great intentions of bringing necessary reforms to the regressing nation. He was planning on taking advantage of the 1870 Elections, hoping to win some seats in the Miktsrod.
But that all changed on December 8th, 1868, when Myles was found dead in his home, his rum poisoned with cyanide. His death would result in his second-in-command, Arnold Gutts, taking charge. It is believed that Arnold was the one who poisoned Myles’s rum, wanting to take the movement under his contentious vision. Unlike Myles, Arnold believed a revolution would be the only way of bringing greater freedoms to the working class, and he cited the democratic process as a slow process that would simply undo their hard work.
With the party under Arnold’s rule, the Gewerksma evolved into a paramilitary unit, leading to the creation of the Gewerksols[31]. These Gewerksols wore charcoal-colored uniforms, which had a black band on the left upper part of the uniform. In this black band was a large red star. Within that red star was a black fist, holding up a black rifle. To distinguish leadership, they had two small golden stars, one on each side of the fist with the Vorhrer of the Gewerksma having four, two on each side. The Gewerksma utilized the Gewerksols to bomb and terrorize Zurkerx, killing tens of thousands during their reign of terror.
The Empire decided to classify the Gewerksma as a terrorist organization, banning it from the Miktsrod. To combat this revolutionary group, the Miktsrod established the Brockov[32], an anti-paramilitary unit. The Brockov’s task was to hunt down and arrest any individuals with terroristic intention; however, the organization went rogue and went after leftwing individuals they deemed a threat, using violent methods to uproot them. When the Miktsrod learned of this, they removed the Brockov’s leaders and enacted legislation that prohibited the Brockov from politically discriminating.
However, despite these changes, the creation of the Brockov led many Demokrists to associate Einnerism with turning a blind eye to the violence it allowed. Yet, the Gewerksma never gained a foothold given their violent nature led many to condemn the movement for its hypocritical stances, causing many Einnerists to believe that Demokrism threatened the sanctity of the individual and individuals’ rights.
By the 20th Century, the great powers of Zentari had formed alliances with each other, believing this would prevent a war that would devastate the entire region. These alliances would prove to be successful but, despite this peace, the great powers were in competition with each other for political, economic and military influence. An arms race ensued and the economy was a primary focus for these nations. This caused governments across Zentari to focus on their jingoistic selves, and they enacted tariffs to protect their industries from competition. This would result in slower growing economies due to such strict rules against trade. Only the Empire rejected such barriers, which they felt violated the principles of Einnerism.
On June 5th, 1989, the countries of Wysteria, Tur Galnos, and Vincra established the Zentari Grand Council[33]. The Council was an organization that sought to unite the nations of Zentari in times of crisis and to decide on regional issues. They decided to build the Council in Jekaria, believing i
t to be a perfect diplomatic point for the region.
At first, the Empire wasn’t interested in participating in such an organization. They viewed it as an unneeded bureaucracy and believed treaties could fill in what the organization couldn’t. That changed when the Miktsrod in 2004 voted to join the Zentari Grand Council, after it became apparent that the Zurks could influence their ideals more effectively and bring Zentari into a more prosperous setting.
Two years after joining, on July 5th, 2006, Jekaria came under the oppressive rule of King Harris Castrovillie. He had an isolationist approach, believing that countries like Tur Galnos, Vincra, Zurkerx, and the newly established Corporatocracy of Wysteria had destroyed Jekaria. The King demanded that the Council relocate and he had all diplomatic ties cut off. His demands were met, but some of the powers refused to recognize these demands. Tur Galnos, Zurkerx, and Halusnek decided to form guerilla groups in Jekaria and attempt to install their own king to expand their power, to gain a puppet at their disposal.
Getting involved in the sovereignty of Jekaria, the Zurks and Halusnek supported Einnerist movements while Tur Galnos supported Demokrist movements. This caused the Jekarian government to become unstable, and King Harris would be overthrown and killed in 2008 due to this instability. After years of fighting, on August 8th, 2012, the Galnosians were fruitful and installed King Halnis Castrovillie, the son of King Harris. This king was officially recognized by Tur Galnos. The other powers soon followed suit, except for Zurkerx and Halusnek, who deemed Jekaria a failed state.
On September 1, 2024, a young general named Quinn Kardenia launched a coup against the Corporatocracy of Wysteria. Tired of the corruption and abuse of civil liberties, General Kardenia sought to free his people. With the help of the other Zentari powers, the Corporatocracy fell, and ushered in the creation of The Czardom of Krukan on March 23, 2025. Zurkerx was among the first to recognize the creation of Krukan and in the beginning, helped fund the Czardom. However, three years later, Czar Kardenia refused these funds, believing Krukan should build on its own and not rely on foreign aid.
On January 15th, 2037, Halusnek was engulfed in a civil war. Marvolkschen[34], a Demokrist movement that was originally peaceful, launched a rebellion against the government, feeling the time had come to put an end to the corruption and crimes committed by the government, blaming Einnerism. They were led by a young 22-year-old military deserter named Lieutenant Nikholas Cebastian, a passionate Demokrist who managed to convince roughly 60% of the military to aid him. Quickly, they gained ground due to Halusnek’s lack of organization and almost took control of the nation.
Fearing the spread of Demokrism, The Zentari Grand Council enacted Resolution 12-31[35], which labelled Marvolkschen a terrorist organization. This resolution encouraged the nations in Zentari to support the Halusnekian Government by any means, although this wasn’t binding. It also forbade any nation on the council to directly aid Marvolkschen or any terroristic group within the region. Nevertheless, while the Council supported Halusnek, they were well aware of the corruption and fraud that needed to be addressed in the event the Halusnekian Government survived.
Zurkerx and Omericoa decided to send armaments to aid the ailing Halusnek government, as well as training Halusnekian troops and sending them back to fight. However, most nations remained neutral during the Civil War, believing it was too late to save the crumbling nation. As for Tur Galnos, they refused to recognize the resolution given the Prophet was a devoted Demokrist. Tur Galnos decided to secretly arm and train soldiers from Marvolkschen to gain another nation puppet and defy Resolution 12-31.
This created a proxy war that would last for three years, becoming known as the Halusnek Catastrophe, a headline that dominated the news for weeks. The people became aware of the corruption, revealing how inept the Halusnekian Government had become. Yet, many in Zentari didn’t lose faith in Einnerism. In fact, the war and exposing corruption strengthened their belief that abandoning Einnerism would result in a stagnant society, its leaders too incompetent to lead.
By May 8th, 2040, the civil war came to an end with the Halusnekian Government claiming victory and standing its ground, barely. The country had suffered enormous losses, with the death toll ranging from 35-40 million while displacing roughly 10 million. The nation also suffered trillions in damages, degrading its economy and quality of life.
Nikholas Cebastian, having lost, fled to Jekaria, vowing to one day return to bring about his utopia. However, his location was discovered and on September 19th, 2041, the Zurks launched a cruise missile, striking a compound believed to house Nikholas. It would later be confirmed by the locals that he was killed.
With Halusnekian in shambles, the Council unanimously passed Resolution 14-11, which supplied economic and humanitarian aid to the deprived nation. In particular, Zurkerx came to the aid of their ally, with some concessions. President Ruther von Rechemec offered a stimulus package plan he called the Rechemec Pact.
In this deal, Halusnek would receive permanent military aid of 2 billion Halas[36] a year, 6 billion in economic aid per year for 25 years, and a half of million Zurk soldiers permanently stationed in Halusnek. In addition, the deal allowed Halusnek to build trade ports and military bases on Vespikta, granting them greater access to trade and training for the military. However, to get the deal, anyone who had previously held office was barred from running, every single one of them. This was to reduce the effects of corruption, which the Empire believed would hinder the healing process. To this day, Halusnek is still recovering from the effects of war, although it has since been peaceful within its sphere.
Tensions then again surged on May 1st, 2044, when Jekaria decided to invade Omericoa, as Jekaria believed Omericoa was funding Einneristic terrorist organizations that sought to overthrow the Kingdom. Believing they needed help, Jekaria sent documents to Tur Galnos, telling them that Omericoa was aiding Einnerists who planned on overthrowing the Kingdom. Angered by this, the Galnosians agreed to aid Jekaria. However, they didn’t want to send troops, fearing their involvement would draw in Zurkerx and other nations. Instead, they decided it was best to end the conflict quickly by using a WMD in their possession, using Jekarian warships in the operation.
Jekaria accepted the plan on the condition they receive billions in aid, given that other nations would sanction them and also, they needed money to fund their government. Thus, on May 4th, Omericoa was defeated when Jekarian warships, which had Galnosians on them, dropped shells that released a red mist. In these warheads was a modified strand of Galnosian Ebola, which caused internal bleeding, diarrhea, fever, and eventually death within fourteen days. It is believed that 93% of the 800 million died and roughly 55 million people fled with a small number remaining in the extinct nation.
The short conflict, dubbed the Omericoa-Jekaria Crisis, caused many Omericoans to flee to Zurkerx, where eventually an estimated 20 million would reside with the remaining people scattered across Zentari. These Omericoans would be quarantined, as the Zentarian governments feared that the Ebola may have hitchhiked and could spread across Zentari. The use of a WMD received heavy condemnation, where the Council passed Resolution 15-9, sanctioning Jekaria. However, these nations were unaware of the deal that Tur Galnos had made and the fact that Tur Galnos was responsible for the WMD in the first place.
Shortly after the conflict, Tur Galnos learned that Jekaria had lied about Omericoa funding Einnerist groups, tricking them into a conflict to piggyback and receive aid to fund their government. Disgusted by this news, the new Prophet, Unwei Tarus, cut all ties with Jekaria and ordered a secret mission to destroy all documentation within Jekaria to cover their crimes. However, before such actions could be taken, General Garrus Utuma, a Galnosian military leader who uncovered parts of Tur Galnos’ devious plan, went rogue and leaked the documents. He would go on to create The Supreme Truth[37], a Galnosian terrorist organization that vowed to expose the government.
Horrified by these revelations, the Council and everyone conde
mned Tur Galnos for using such a weapon. On July 6th, 2044, with Tur Galnos barred from the vote, the Council passed Resolution 31-60, condemning Tur Galnos’s use of WMDs, and stripping away the Imperium’s Navy for ten years. The resolution also forced the Galnosians to produce a vaccine for the Ebola as well as pay to the Council ten years’ worth of money that would have funded the Galnosian Navy. This would result in strained relationships between Tur Galnos and other nations, relations that remain weakened to this day.
Throughout the 21st Century, the Empire sought to advance its military, political, and economic power across Zentari. They did this by accepting automation and 3D printing, which reduced the cost of many products while also improving their quality, and even improving the quality of life of its citizens. This caused GDP growth to explode given that businesses were able to reduce their payroll significantly, allowing the government to collect more in tax revenue through a sales tax and from corporations.
However, this also caused many to lose their jobs where their labor wasn’t adequate to compete with a machine. To alleviate this, the government encouraged its people to join the military, as after serving for thirty years, they would be eligible for pension. The military also provided an education for free to anyone who joined and served for five years, giving the soldiers more opportunities when they left the military. This education was reformed to encourage teamwork and research, and granted greater autonomy to people since the need to follow instructions wasn’t as important as it was 50 years prior.
These changes in society would revitalize the Gewerksma as workers felt they were being left behind in the post-modern economy, giving rise to Neo-Demokrism. Neo-Demokrism, unlike Demokrism, condemned automation and 3D printing and sought to ban it, believing manual labor was superior. Neo-Demokrists also believed that the government was intentionally allowing businesses to discard workers, forcing them to join the military in pursuit of a job, and building an imperial army for regional domination.
Zurkerx- The Empire Shall Grow Page 3
