Holy Kingdom of Harmonia

Holy Kingdom of Harmonia {{{jpname}}}, {{{roname}}}
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Capital	Crystal Valley
Established	SY -2
Rulers	High Priest Hikusaak (0-Present)
Continent	Northern continent

The Holy Kingdom of Harmonia (ハルモニア神聖国, Harumonia Shinsei Kuni), known more informally as Holy Harmonia or simply Harmonia, is a large superstate located in the northernmost region of the northern continent. It borders the Dunan Republic to the south and the Grassland to the west.

History

The Holy Kingdom of Harmonia was founded in Solar Year -2 with the overthrow of the Kingdom of Aronia by the hero Hikusaak. Two years later, Hikusaak would take the title of High Priest, setting up the priest-based government that would rule the nation from the Circle Palace. The nation would become a powerhouse in the region, home to a powerful, peerless military and strong, influential culture. The nation's national policy would become centered around the acquisition of the 27 True Runes. This aggressive foreign policy has led to a large amount of invasions and annexations in Harmonia's history.

Harmonia's culture has made it an example of higher learning and many academics throughout history have studied there. Many promising students from other nations journey to Harmonia in order to study there. The One Temple in the nation's capital, Crystal Valley, is famed as a source of all the world's knowledge. A great number of guilds also exist in the nation, one of the most feared being the Howling Voice Guild.

The nation is set up that, officially, it is under the absolute rule of High Priest Hikusaak. However, Hikusaak sometimes does not appear in public for great lengths of time and so, in reality, Harmonia's political system is under the influence of the aristocracy. The aristocracy is divided into two factions: the Temple Faction, which supports Hikusaak's absolute rule and the People's Faction with aims for a balance of power between the priesthood and the people. These absences have led to internal conflict and civil war in the past.

Harmonia also functions under a strict class system. First-class citizens are pure-blooded Harmonian citizens, distinguishable by their blonde hair and blue eyes. Second-class citizens are citizens from nations and territories that did not resist Harmonian annexation or otherwise proved themselves to be of use to the nation. Third-class citizens are those peoples who resisted Harmonian rule and are now conquered. Human rights are only guaranteed to first and second-class citizens. These citizens are also heavily taxed and forbidden from unapproved travel and trade and are considered no better than slaves. Additionally, in order to avoid fostering rebellion in third-class regions, children from said areas are taken to Crystal Valley to be raised in accordance with Harmonian values as part of their assimilation policy.

Diplomatically, Harmonia had maintained friendly relations with the Highland Kingdom as the latter was part of Harmonia before being granted its independence. In the Dunan Unification War, reinforcements led by Bishop Sasarai were sent to the region to support the Highland Army in their war effort. However, these troops were decimated by Luc's True Wind Rune, cutting short Harmonian involvement in the conflict. Prior to that, Harmonia sent a Howling Voice Guild agent to infiltrate Falena during that nation's Sun Rune War. The reports of that agent kept Harmonia from intervening in Falenan politics for decades after the war.

References

1. Genso Suikoden Kiwami Encyclopedia, pages 86, 197, 263, 340, 645, 823