Daistallian History and Origins
The history of Daistallia can be divided into three distinct periods. These are The Alpinehom period, the Lancre period, and the Greenfields period. This essay aims to cover the early history of Daistallia in some detail.
Prehistory
Archaeological evidence suggests that the original inhabitants of Daistallia were hunter-gatherers settled in the Dael lowlands and the Kraels. The evidence suggests that a large number of these inhabitants died out due to a massivenatural disaster of unknown origins. The remainder either migrated elsewhere or were subsumed in later migrations.
Whilan Migrations:
The first major inward migration of foreign peoples were Buddhist missionaries from Tibet in 895. These missionaries became lost in a mysterious storm arnd found themselves with no way to return to Tibet. The missionary population slowly increased over the next 20 years, as additional Tibetan peoples made their way through the mountains. The Tibetan migration was closely followed by the arrival of a small group of Kirati refugees from the Licchavi Kingdom in Kathmandu fleeing the Thakuri dynasty. The Kirati arrived in 915. The final Himalayan group of settlers arrived from Bumthang, Bhutan, in 925.
These settlers made their home high in the Kraels, a range Himalayan mountains. They remained largely isolated for some 500 years. Over time, these people mixed together culturally, ethnically, and linguistically. They became known as the Whilan. The Whillan Lama became the acknowledged temporal and spiritual leader of the Whilan people.
The migrants included a small but signifigant number of warriors in addition to the monks.
Swiss-German Migrations
The next major wave of immigration was the colonisation by the Stallia company, a group of Reisläufer Swiss mercenary soldiers. The Stallia were commissioned in Bern in 1450, and served in the Burgundian Wars.
The Stallian Trek (1477-1650):
After the Battle of Nancy in 1477, the Stallia company served in the Burgundian Netherlands under Maximilian I for several years. This was followed by several years in service in the Kingdom of Hungary under Matyas.
The company then passed into Asia, serving in the Ottoman Empire until 1520, when they accepted a commission under Zāhir ud-Dīn Mohammad (Babur) in Afghanistan and Northern India. This was followed by a fairly long period service in the Gorkha kindgom. From 1620, the company took service in Tibet. In the late 1630s and early 1640s they were in service to the Manchu.
All through this period, the company retained it's Swiss heritage and largely Swiss ethnicity, through recruitment efforts and connections in the Swiss Confederacy. This was largely helped by the Reformation period.
Finally, in 1650 the company retired from military settled on the islands now known as Bintan, Batam, and Singapore, claiming them as "the Stallia Colony, a Colony of the Swiss Confederacy" (a claim that the Swiss Confederacy did not recognize).
The Treaty of Imoman Hoa:
The Stallia Republic made a treaty with the Whilan states in the interior in 1667. The original contact was hostile, and the two states were soon at war. However, the Whilan state was quickly overwhelmed. However, the Gorrk warrior caste, desendants of the Gorka, made a grave impression on the militant Stallia, and garnered a great deal of respect. It was due to this that the Treaty of Imoman Hoa was signed, unifying the two states and establishing the Stallia-Whilan Republic in 1600. The treaty strips the Whilan Lama of all temporal power, leaving him to concentrate on spiritual matters. This closeness begins the conversion of many Stallia to Buddhism.
The Pirate Clans and Asian Migrations (1405-1800):
The first group of Chinese to arrive were lost sailors from Asia. A large part of these sailors were from Zheng He's fleet in 1407. Mixed in with these, over time, were Malays, Vietnamese, Thais, and Koreans. These sailors all managed to find themselves completely lost at sea. These peoples settled in a large deltaic plain of what is now known as Bangladesh as well as across SE Asia. The area had also been a traditional pirate haven for ages. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Malay pirates abounded during this period, preying on the increasing merchant trade between East Asia and Europe. They quickly mixed together, becoming known as the Dai and established several city-states across the Daels.
Modern History (1800-2006):
The modern history of Daistallia is that of an admixture of the local inhabitants.
The War of Two Treaties:
In 1802 a group of six Dai city states in the Daels signed a confereration treaty. Three years later, the remaining city states co-join a similary treaty. The two treaty organizations begin making claims of unfair trade against each other. In 1818 the War of Two Treaties breaks out between the Dai city-states. The war lasts 9 years, and involves a great deal of treachery. Many mercenary units from the Stalli-Whilan republic take part. 1827 The Treaty of Baing ends the war and establishes the Dai Union, an all Dai trading union.
New Arrivals:
Also in 1827 the pirate Jean Lafitte secretly retired to this island paradise. Over the next fifty years, several thousand Cajuns, Texans, West Indians, Western sailors, and Polynesians settled in the area. These people were mostly retired pirates, escaped slaves, and others seeking to escape the confines and restrictions of their societies.
Union:
After the War of Two Treaties, cultural and economic contact between the Dai cities and the Stalli-Whilan Republic increased dramatically. In 1855 a propsed merge of the Dai Union and The Stalli-Whilan Republic is approved by all members. The country then becomes the Incorporated States of Daistallia. In 1895, under The Baing Treaty of Dai Stallia Union, the Dai clans and the Stallia Colony formed a single nation, to be known as Daistallia.
WW II and the Cold War
During WWII a secret US-ANZAC base and operational detatchment (OSS Detachment 101.5) was established here to help support allied attacks on Japanese shipping. This base was staffed primarily by British, US, and ANZAC officers and Hawaiian and Maori support staff.
Over the next 4 decades, Daistallia became a sucessful, if small nation. It remained completely neutral during the Cold War.
Coup:
After many years of peace, in 200X, a national crisis involving governmental corruption resulted in a temporary coup d'etat. Corrupt government officials siezed and sold off valuable properties belonging to a culturally important Buddhist temple. After the deaths of several monks in the insuing protests, the military stepped in. The situation was resolved fairly quickly, and national elections were held soon after to replace the military emergency committee.
Move to Lancre:
After several years Daistallia migrated to the region of Lancre, atop of the world's largest megalith.
White Fog:
A number of years later (roughly 2004) an unexplained natural disaster known as the White Fog enveloped Daistallia. An as of yet un explained fog bank rolled across the country, cutting off all areas enveloped by it.
Greenfields:
A number of survivors found themselves transported in time and space to the region known as Greenfields, in the year 2104. After a number of years, Daistallia 2104 managed to emerge as an industrial and economic powerhouse in the region. However the region slowly declined and drifted apart. After several years, many nation ceased to exist or moved away. Eventually Daistallia 2104 was one of three nations existing there. The government sought to move to a more active region. And Daistallia 2104 sought further advancement elsewhere.
Move to Athar:
After a long search, the nation was moved to Athar, where Daistallia 2104 stayed and prospered for a while.
Move to the Region of Daistallia:
After some time in Athar, Daistallia 2104 moved to it's own independent region. Currently, Daistallia 2104 is in the process of exploring and colonising a new star system. Hopefully this will help aleviate the high population densities found in the country today.
