Öhgyag Kurultai (Branding)

The Öhgyag Kurultai is a nation located in the Kentaurs Sector comprised of two distinct species: the Tzia and the Jalahi. The Kurultai was established by the Dak'ghar Compromise, which saw the three superpowers of Öhgyag: Khonghan, Ulthubag, and Jangzhim, merge into a single entity following the Bulgamandi nuclear disaster and the subsequent discovery of alien life. Soon after uniting Öhgyag, the Kurultai set its sights on exploring the stars, intent on enriching its coffers and becoming a part of the wider galactic community. Early supporters of the Warlord Pact, the Kurultai believes that all nations reserve the right to dictate their own affairs and that interstellar organizations such as the Peacekeeper Alliance are inherently corrupt and imperialistic. In their view, those who wish to exist among the stars should be ready to defend that right through military might rather than forcing other nations to bend to their will.

The states which comprise the Öhgyag Kurultai are independent of one another and manage their own internal affairs. Foreign relations, the military, and internal disputes are handled by the Kurultai, a parliamentary body made up of elected officials from each state. The Kurultai elects the prime minister, the official head head of government and the Kurultai's public representative.

History
See also: History of the Öhgyag Kurultai

Origins
Both the Tzia and Jalahi evolved on Öhgyag, where the two species had developed a symbiotic relationship. Packs of Jalahi would protect the nests of Tzia from intruders; in exchange, the Tzia would provide the Jalahi a portion of their meals. This relationship persisted for millions of years up until two species began developing sapience. The more numerous and social Jalahi were the first to organize into communities and employ tools, rendering the Tzia unnecessary. While some tribes welcomed the Tzia as equals or even revered them as guardian spirits, most instead repurposed the larger, more powerful Tzia as laborers and beasts of burden, setting the stage for millennia of servitude and frequent warfare between Jahali slavers and independent Tzian groups.

The tide turned against the Jalahi when improvements in medical care and food production brought about by an industrial revolution within the Tzian kingdom of Ulthubag saw an unprecedented population boom among the Tzia. These developments were swiftly exported to the kingdom's allies, and while the Jalahi had several opportunities to claim technologies for themselves, conservative groups, perceiving these foreign ideas to be a threat to their way of life, resisted modernization. Ulthubag rapidly militarized and initiated the Wars of Revenge, a period of nearly four centuries of sporadic warfare in which an estimated 50% to 70% of the global Jalahi population was wiped out before a technological stalemate and declining public support among the Tzia brought an end to hostilities, leading to a treatment which formally banned slavery across the planet.

Dak'ghar Compromise
Ulthubag emerged a global power following the Wars of Revenge, but a combination of political infighting and revolts would weaken its influence, allowing the Jalahi state of Jangzhim to assert itself on the international stage. At the same time, the predominantly Tzian Khonghan Republic, an ideological opponent of both Ulthubag and Jangzhim, emerged. These three competed for control over Öhgyag until the development of nuclear armaments brought an end to direct warfare. Thousands of warheads would be developed over the next several decades. A global disarmament movement arose to call for an end to hostilities, but their demands went unheeded, as none of the powers were willing to cooperate.

In 2BT (Before Treaty), an aircraft transporting a 50-megaton warhead to the Ulthubag capitol of Bulgamandi broke apart as it approached the city, causing the bomb to fall out and detonate upon impact. The resulting explosion leveled much of the city and evaporated millions, including most of Ulthubag's political and military leadership. The confusion paralyzed Ulthubag's military, narrowly preventing the incident from sparking all-out nuclear warfare. In the aftermath, both Khonghan and Jangzhim provided material and financial aid to Ulthubag, which organized a new provisional government.

The explosion triggered a global protest movement calling for the great powers to disarm their nuclear arsenals and to begin formal peace talks. After military forces began to mutiny and disable the weapons themselves, the powers agreed to host talks in the city of Dak'ghar. Here, Ulthubag revealed that they had discovered an alien vessel buried in the deserts of Ulaasbitor and were in the process of building a functional faster-than-light engine. This revelation shifted talks towards ensuing preparedness and unity in the face of any potential alien threat. Nearly two years of negotiations would lead to the Dak'ghar Compromise, which founded the Kurultai, a federal governing body which would manage both foreign and interstate affairs whilst allowing each state to hold their own laws and customs. Those few who did not sign the pact were then coerced into compliance.

Interstellar Era
Seventeen years of development would see the the first reliable faster-than-light engine and the exploration of nearby star systems. It was soon agreed that habitable planets would be divided between the states, ensuring that no one nation controlled the whole of a planet's resources. These early colonies were predominantly inhabited by those who sought to distance themselves from the Kurultai, which exercised strict control over most colonies. Tensions came to a head when the colony of Zahgzhep ceased paying its dues to the Kurultai and was soon joined by many of the other colonies, prompting a military standoff. Khonghan stepped forward as a mediator and negotiated the Zahgzhep Accords, which recognized some of the colonies as new states, granted further autonomy to the rest, and adjusted tax rates.

First contact with a sapient alien species took place when Hiyalan explorers discovered the Ruchek, an insect-like species which was rapidly expanding towards the Kurultai. Öhgyag assumed hostile intent and launched a preemptive attack against the Ruchek. The victorious albeit costly conflict proved to be an important learning experience for the young Kurultai, which modernized its military using reverse-engineered Kuchek technology, and cemented tactical nuclear weaponry as a core aspect of Öhgyagan doctrine.

Astrography
The Kurultai currently resides within the Kentarus Sector, with Öhgyag residing within the Gulzumahn star cluster, a particularly large and dense star cluster which the Kurultai is in the process of conquering. The slowly-expanding core of Kurultai space contains the majority of the member states and their urbanized colonies, which are protected by sizeable patrol fleets and an expansive array of sensors. Beyond these defenses resides the majority of Öhgyag space, which is comprised of fledgling settlements, outposts, and military facilities. The Öhgyag has little regard for the environment one way or the other, focusing solely on what resources planets can provide; as a result, even some of the most inhospitable worlds have been colonized to exploit the materials therein.

Government & Politics
Main Page: Kurultai

The federal authority of Öhgyag, formally known as the Kurultai, is a bicameral parliamentary body which oversees interstate, foreign, economic, and military policy, but which otherwise holds no authority over the affairs of individual states. Each state possesses its own governing body, laws, and constitution. The Kurultai is currently comprised of the House and the Council:


 * The Senate represents the interests of individual settlements, which can hold a variable number of seats depending on their population. While most representatives are elected, some are instead appointed by their governments as a democratic election is not mandatory for legitimacy.


 * The Council is made up of officials who directly represent the ruler(s) of each individual state within the Kutultai. Each state, regardless of population, can only hold three seats on the council.

After an election, both bodies elect members from within their ranks to fill various ministerial positions, including the Financier, Foreign Minister, Interior Minister, Internal Security Chief, the War Chief, and the Chief Councillor, who acts as the head of state.

Member States
The Kurultai currently recognizes almost two dozen member states. Of these, Ulthubag, Khonghan, and Jangzhim, informally referred to as the 'triad', exert the most influence over Öhgyag. While this gives outsiders the impression of unity, in reality the members of the triad often represent vastly different interests and compete against one another for influence over potential supporters and allies. Most states are categorized both by which members of the triad they support and according to their political ideology.

Unionist
Unionists are jingoists which seek to strengthen the Kurultai, reasoning that greater centralization would strengthen the nation's interstellar standing. For many within the party, their goal is to see the Kurultai become the sole governing authority of the nation. During their formative years, the Unionists were extremely xenophobic, considering all alien life to be a potential threat. In modern times, as the Kurultai continues to explore the stars, only a shrinking minority still hold to this belief.


 * Khonghan


 * Otguhl


 * Barzamun


 * Ogluk


 * Hiyalu


 * Uchugh


 * Tül

Mediators
Mediators are traditionalists who uphold the autonomy of the states while simultaneously opposing any efforts to weaken the Kurultai. Scientists and merchants at heart, the Mediators prefer to avoid direct conflict and to instead establish strong, lucrative alliances with alien powers. They are by no means pacifistic, however, and have a record of both supporting war when it furthered their interests and targeting defenseless, primitive societies for 'experimentation'.


 * Ulthubag


 * Tazorag


 * Zolglii


 * Khersgyr


 * Zahgzhep


 * Tsogalag

Isolationists
Isolationists advocate staying out of interstellar politics unless there is a direct threat to the Kurultai. They simultaneously the centralist views of the Unionists and the scientific endeavors of the Mediators, making the Isolationists bloc a vital tiebreaker in deadlocked sessions.


 * Jangzhim


 * Tulbok


 * Gahzriig


 * Gautmaa


 * Izhpahn

Conglomerate
Conglomerates favor downsizing or outright replacing the Kurultai, which they deem to be a threat to the autonomy of the states. It is comprised of a group of settlements which were not satisfied with the Zahgzhep Accords. A small organization upon its formation, a lack of support from the members of the triad and internal feuding over policy has largely prevented the Conglomerate from achieving any of its stated goals.


 * Astabok


 * Ilyaji


 * Xurgui

Law Enforcement & Military
The Internal Security Chief of the Kurultai holds authority over the agencies which prosecute crimes against the Kurultai, referred to internally as crimes against Öhgyag. The jurisdiction of these enforcers encompass all of Öhgyag space, but states hold considerable oversight over the agency's activities. For local disputes, each state maintains their own law enforcement agency to uphold the law. The nature and structure of these organizations vary considerably between states.

In theory, the Kurultai holds a monopoly on the use of military force so as to reduce the possibility of a civil war. The War Chief of the Kurultai, who answers specifically to the Council, is the official commander of the Öhgyag Armed Forces, or OAF. In practice, however, some states circumvented this rule by creating 'Internal Security Forces', which while equipped like an army, officially functioned as a militarized police force which held no power outside of its own borders. Rather than demanding that the organizations be disbanded, the Kurultai integrated them as territorial defense formations and required that each state send a certain percentage of recruits to the OAF alongside the volunteers they directly receive. A mix of private and public corporations provide the OAF with much of its arsenal with the notable exception of starships, which are exclusively constructed at OAF facilities.