Solisvar (SOH-liss-var)

One of the few nations that thoroughly predate the Circle of Nine is the Resplendent Kingdom of Solisvar. Solisvar is a relatively small state that nevertheless occupies a geographical area of great importance, for it lays claim to half of the Great Reservoir, the largest body of water on Aotra. Much of the north half of Solisvar is covered in thick rainforest, but its southern half features a vast array of biomes. The wealthy and powerful flock to Solisvar for vacations because of its wildly diverse terrain, which encompasses everything from lush jungles to vast deserts, from majestic mountains to shadowy swamplands.   For most of its life as a nation, Solisvar has been a martial state, wherein its Royal Defense Force administers most of the standard operations of the nation's government. The Royal Defense Force is one of the mightiest militaries in the world; indeed, it is Solisvar's military which will be called upon whenever martial force is required to enact the law of the Circle of Nine. Its symbol, the iconic black and gold lion crest featured on Solisvar's flag, is instantly recognizable for most Aotrans worldwide. As its military, deeply intertwined with the state's government, fulfills a role so important to the Circle of Nine, Solisvar has maintained a high status among nations of the Circle.   Solisvar's current Co9 representative is Her Majesty the Queen-Mother Ohtli Ahuilan. Her Majesty is the mother of the reigning monarch, His Majesty the King Atloc III Ahuilan. The Ahuilan dynasty has ruled Solisvar for the entirety of Solisvar's time as a nation of the Circle of Nine, having ascended to power in 7 YW, and they are considered one of the Aotra's most powerful noble houses. There are indications, however, that their power may finally be waning; the young king Atloc has been unpopular ever since he ascended to the throne after the death of his grandfather, the former King Colotzo IV. Atloc has a reputation for being fickle and spoiled; though he has proven himself to be at least a passable politician, he has never had the widespread respect that many of his forebears had. In some corners of Solisvar, the public perception of Atloc is an indication that it may finally be time for another house to rise to the Lion Throne. In still other circles, though ones generally kept out of public view, a growing consensus suggests that the future of the Solisvaran government might not rest on the Lion Throne at all.   Solisvar's monarchy has been unrepresentative of its population at large since the formation of the Circle of Nine. The Ahuilan dynasty, and nearly all of the adjacent aristocracy, are members of the Zapaii ethnic group of humans, who make up less than 15% of Solisvar's population. Over 40% of Solisvar's population (nearly all the rest of Solisvar's human population) are ethnically Cualac, a group with very few ties to state power. In the years before the Circle of Nine, Solisvar was a much smaller state made up alost entirely of Zapaii people; after the Circle of Nine allocated surrounding territory to it, Solisvar became a significantly larger state in which Zapaii people have generally ruled over all others.