History

Thembria was founded some countless hundreds of years before the Great War. The exact details of the country's origin are vague and obscure, but early inhabitants of the continent included small groups of ice fishers, farmers, and hunters. At some point these groups must have banded together and formed a civil government, establishing Thembria as it is known today.

Thembria's flag, proud emblem of the Motherland, on display.

During the many years prior to the Great War, the country of Thembria enjoyed its greatest growth and prosperity. Most Thembrians regard this period of time as the "glory era" of Thembria's history. Under the leadership of a long line of rulers, Thembria became known and respected as a foreign power to be reckoned with.

Among Thembria's greatest assets was a formidable army which the government used mainly to guard the country itself from outside attack. As a result, Thembria gained a reputation for political neutrality, entering armed conflict only when provoked. As powerful a nation as Thembria was, however, it often drew contempt from other civilized nations for its peculiar customs and culture.

Since early times, Thembrian society was essentially run by the government under the headship of the nation's military leader, the High Marshall. Though not oppressive per se, the Thembrian state limited free expression and creativity enough to hamper the nation's cultural and artistic development, to say nothing of its international relations. Although frustrated by Thembria's unusual political dealings, most foreign countries knew better than to provoke the tundra nation into open conflict, as the Thembrians could be fierce warriors when antagonized.

When the Great War broke out, Thembria contributed to the conflict its military might as well as its country's vast labor pool for the construction of new and powerful war machines. The People's Army participated in several key conflicts of the Great War, many of them fought on Thembrian territory. One enemy force almost succeeded in overthrowing the Thembrian capital until their attack was miraculously thwarted by a large fish — recognized today as the "Great Patriotic Flounder" — which jumped from a stream into the enemy's main cannon, clogging it and saving Thembria from a disastrous defeat.

Uneasy when it came to political alliances, the Thembrians found themselves fighting alongside the people of Usland during the War. Though reluctant at first to ally themselves to such "capitalist swine", Thembria eventually realized that cooperation was necessary to combat mutual enemies of both countries. Thembria often found itself partnerred with the people of Usland — particularly those from the city of Cape Suzette — in undertaking several military ventures.

After the Great War ended, however, things changed rather quickly in Thembrian government and society. The brief detente in Usland-Thembrian relations which had flourished so prominently during the war was replaced by marked suspicion and animosity from both sides — possibly resulting from a misunderstanding between the two countries. On the other hand, many historians believe the break was inevitable, attributing post-war animosity to the obvious clash between Thembria's and Usland's cultures. Severing most of its political ties after the War, Thembria became increasingly isolated from its former allies while retaining its status and reputation as a world power.

Bureaucracy engulfed the Thembrian government, sparking a nationwide reform which established innumerable new laws and ordinances accompanied by an incredible amount of expense and paperwork. The mighty Thembrian Army — as well as its newest counterpart, the Glorious People's Air Force — underwent a massive transformation from an active military force to a dedicated national defense network, in accordance with new political policies stressing tighter national security and total military preparedness. Finally, new social laws and taxes put great pressure on the Thembrian people, whose involvement in their nation's affairs slipped as the government and military became more and more intertwined.

Nevertheless, highly-regulated trade dealings and foreign policies have restored an uneasy peace between Thembria and the nation of Usland. Although not entirely on friendly terms with each other, the two countries have learned to cooperate enough to prevent any petty mutual resentments from escalating into pointless warfare.

A nation which prefers its solitude, Thembria stands as one of the world's most considerable foreign powers. As backward as it may be, the country of Thembria remains a force not to be trifled with nor underestimated.

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