Dwipantara

Dwipantara, officially The Kingdoms of Dwipantara, is a Nation in Meridia.

History
Dwipantaran lands were colonies of foreign powers, among them the kingdoms of Walanda, Varanchis and Albion. Walanda colonized Dwipantara for the longest time and treated the natives harshly. At one point in history, an army led by Mappanganro I, consisting of his own people and warriors from the Dragon Empire and the White Caliphate attacked the Walandan colony and liberated its people, making Dwipantara a confederation of independent kingdoms.

Geography
Dwipantara is located in the centre of the world, on the northern part of Aleria. It is tropical realm with warm to hot temperature and high rainfall, especially during the wet season. The kingdoms are surrounded by jungles in the frontiers and two mountains, both of which are home to many goblins and skyvipers, as well as the occasional skytiger. Dwipantaran seas are beautiful and bountiful, with abundant natural resources among the colourful coral reefs. The lands are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, many of which are unique to the continent of Aleria and some of them deadly enough to ward off ill-equipped and ill-experienced potential colonists. All in all, despite the dangers posed by the indigenous wildlife, Dwipantara offers an exquisite vista available nowhere else.

Politics
Each kingdom in Dwipantara is led by a single leader who answers to the Maharaja himself. Different provinces have different cultures, demographics and laws.

Sundari
The capital of Dwipantara, located in province #3 of Aleria, is led by the current Maharaja, Mappanganro III, who resides at the Cliffside Palace. It is a lively province, bustling with economic, scientific, cultural and religious activity. Most of the inhabitants are humans, though many vampires and elves from the Dragon Empire, as well as other races from other provinces reside here. Most of the descendants Mappanganro I's original people also live here, many of them becoming warriors or scholars.

Sundari houses the Sundari Institute of Technology, a prestigious university where many artificers graduated from. Across the street lies the Grand Mosque of Sundari, the largest mosque in the nation. Aside from being a house of worship for adherents of the Angel's Religion, it also has swimming pools, fields, and gardens. The wide fields are often used to train people on how to ride various mounts and the gardens are popular places of recreation and botanical research. Opposite of the mosque to the east are marketplaces, offering various goods, both natural and man-made. South of the mosque is the Grand Pearl Theatre, a large theatre where the flourishing of the creativity of the people takes place.

Most native residents of Sundari are soft-spoken, polite and innovative, in contrast to the immigrants from Mappanganro I's homeland who are more rigid, outgoing and tactlessly honest. This is why most of the nation's artists and artificers are from Sundari. This also makes Sundari the most popular place for immigrants of the Dragon Empire to live in, since both places share similar cultural norms.

Sundari is inspired by West Java and South Kalimantan.

Suryonegoro
Suryonegoro is a province in the western part of Dwipantara, ruled by orcs led by King Buto Ijo IV and bordered by the Concrete Circle dividing the province from an ancient city ruins. Once a land of barbaric plunderers, it is still a place where many skilled gunsmiths and blacksmiths work. Besides weapons, the people of Suryonegoro are also proficient with food. Many of the nation's valuable spice plants are cultivated in this province and the (placeholder) street is famous as a place for culinary tours, with various places to buy food, ranging from fine-dining restaurants to stalls belonging to street vendors.

Suryonegoro is inspired by several Javan provinces.

Puapua
Puapua is a province on eastern Dwipantara. It is famous for its breathtaking beaches and coral reefs, as well as its mines. The native residents of Puapua are humans and trolls who were once primitive animists. Now, however, they are more than able to keep with the times and many have converted into either Christianity or the Angel's Religion. This does not mean that they have completely abandoned their traditions though. They still practice some ancient traditions, including a system of tribes, which are under the rule of a single tribe with High Chieftain Edwin Kulukulu as their leader.

Puapua is based on Papua.

Economy
The nation's economy is still recovering from the devastation of the colonial era, which explains its lack of wealth despite its reserves of natural resources. Dwipantara runs a mixed economy, with private industies regulated to minimize the negative impact towards the environment and a central bank mantained. Agriculture, weapons, water and aether are special industries that only the central government is allowed to deal in. Due to its strategic location, Dwipantara also conducts trade with various nations, mainly the White Caliphate and the Dragon Empire. Cioray in particular is very welcoming to foreign traders.

Culture
Being a melting pot of various ethnicities, backgrounds, and religions, Dwipantara has a rich culture which combines values, techniques, and styles from multiple sources.

Performing Arts
Dwipantara has traditional dances from every province. Most of these dances depict historical accounts, from battles between the gods and demons of old to The Shadow's invasion, Noreian colonialism, and other important events. Aside from a way to remember the past, Dwipantarans also have dances to celebrate events, such as weddings, graduations, victory, as well as to honour ancestors and as religious rituals. Gamelan and angklung are usually played to complement performances. The denizens of Cioray are particularly good at singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments.

Puppet shows are also a prominent form of art in Dwipantara. Like dances, these can also retell stories in the past and are accompanied by traditional music. Unlike dances, however, most of the content of puppet shows are more modern, with fictional shows depicting heroes with amazing magical powers, to tear-jerking dramas and stories containing moral and religious values.

Visual Arts
Before colonists from Noreia arrived in Dwipantara, paintings mostly had semi-abstract patterns resembling plants, winds, or waves, due to pagan beliefs to honour spirits. Since the arrival of Walandans, however, Dwipantaran art depicts more people, animals, and scenery, with romanticism having a strong influence. Goblins make up the most of the best painters in the nation.