Ertia
 | |
| Official language | English |
|---|---|
| Capital | Technograd |
| Largest cities | Technograd |
| Date founded | 1200 AN |
| Government | Technocracy |
| Current leader | Chairwoman Joon Wong |
The Instrumentality of Ertia, or simply Ertia, is a quasi-independent state located in northwestern Keltia near Red Lake and bordering the Country of Liberty directly to its south.
History
Ertia began its life as a scientific outpost of the United Soviet States of Col around 2789 ASC. The Soviets wanted to establish an isolated research facility both for security and in order to conduct research completely uninhibited. Col poured all its academia into Ertia, meanwhile delving deep into the mountains to build a network of tunnels and compounds within the safety of the bedrock. Its name was chosen as a direct opposite to the word inertia, which means slow or slothful; therefore meaning fast or driven. And indeed that was what Ertia was; a bustle of workers ever striving to achieve the latest in scientific breakthroughs. As time wore on, more and more scientists and workers came to Ertia and it developed into an entity of its own. Even after the Central Soviet in Benkerngrad collapsed, Ertia had by that time become a city hidden away in the mountains, impervious to the world around it. Undaunted, the society continued on its own, with the scientists eventually taking over where the politicians left off. This eventually metamorphosed into the polity known as the Instrumentality, a technocratic state ruled by scientific advisors. With a strong fear of the outside world they utterly isolated themselves in the mountains and were completely unknown until immigrants from neighboring Liberty began encroaching upon their lands.
But their long isolation did not inspire the sought after scientific breakthroughs the Ertians had hoped for. Instead their science stagnated from the lack of contact with the outside world. So much so that it advanced little beyond the levels of the early Soviet state that Col had left behind. Resources and labor were also lacking, so that when Libertine immigrants began spreading into the area they didn't stumble upon a highly-advanced civilization. Indeed, Ertian society wasn't that far ahead of the frontier science of Liberty. Even so, a small leap in science can make a big difference in terms of weapons, and the few tanks the Ertians possessed easily intimidated the Libertine cavalry enough to halt any confrontation.
When President Rivington of Liberty rode into the region with his cavalry entourage he wisely chose to direct his people to leave the area and settle in areas away from the Ertians, further to the south. This calmed the politicians in the Instrumentality and prevented further clashes. It also smoothed things over enough that when Rivington called a meeting at Liberty Hall of delegates from the surrounding states the Ertians sent Chairwoman Joon Wong. Seeking to protect Ertia's territorial integrity and continue the mission of the Instrumentality, Wong realized that to fight the growing Libertine population would be an effort in futility. As such she agreed to make Ertia a state of Liberty, which in turn agreed to grant continued autonomy and guarantee the Instrumentality would remain unaffected by the union. Thus in 1702 Ertia officially became a state of Liberty.
