The League of Thormenal
“Twenty thalers? Sir, you must understand I have a family at home with mouths to feed. Fifteen thalers and not a shilling more.” – Heard from a stall at the Grand Market in AltanusHeraldry Thormenal is represented by a gold fortress wall on a green field. The gold represents the wealth of Thormenal and the green is the bountiful land on which she rests. The wall has six crenelations and a tower, representing the seven cities of the league.
Structure
The League is a confederation of city-states. Each city is an independent political unit ruled by a City Council. Councilors are elected by the city elite (electors). Every five years, governance of the whole is passed to a new city, and the combined city councils elect the Archon to serve as head of state.
Archon: Head of State and Commander-in-chief. Rules from current capital.
Councilor: Serves as member of ruling body of a city.
Elector: Hereditary position. Votes to select councilors.
Councilor: Serves as member of ruling body of a city.
Elector: Hereditary position. Votes to select councilors.
History
Thormenal was the second major grouping of Faeler tribes to civilize. These tribes pushed south to the sea and eventually overwhelmed the two Traazorite provinces east of Koronna, assimilating them into a cosmopolitan community of Faeler conquerors, Chaler stay-behinds and Symker refugees. The most racially heterogeneous of the nations on Isarchael, Thormenal’s system of government reflects this make-up. The cities of Thormenal formed a loose confederation in 205 where governance of the whole shifts periodically between the cities and the cities themselves are ruled by councils elected by the social elite. While publicly Thormenal prides itself on political freedom, the Faeler majority is clearly in control of all major elements of the Thormenalan political landscape. The League has fought countless border skirmishes with Koronna and stands watch on the frontier with Kandor. Thormenalans are noted for their business acumen and taste for a good deal. Thormenalan merchants can be found wherever a trade route or sea lane will take them.
Demography and Population
Mating Rituals and Customs
As with religion, Thormenal enjoys a variety of mating customs. It has a complex set of laws governing marriage that takes into account all the various cultures that have made the Seven Cities their home over the years.
Entertainment
Just about every form of entertainment imaginable can be found in one or more of Thormenal’s cities. The common element that binds them all together is a fierce love of gambling. Thormenalans will bet on anything. In addition to the normal betting on competitions and contests, and gambling through games of chance from many cultures, there are booking houses that permit gambling on everything imaginable from the quality of the year’s harvest to the next day’s weather.
What is valued by this society?
Thormenalan society values wealth. Wealth permits a citizen of any station to live in comfort and wealth is there to be had by anyone lucky or clever or even hardworking enough to seize it.
Territories
Thormenal has a pleasant, warm climate, with only minor seasonal variations.
Military
The League’s army is based on citizen troops contributed by each city. Each councilor is also required to outfit a number of knights to serve as the army’s core of shock troops. Thormenal also makes use of a large number of mercenary specialist forces. More than any other country, Thormenal makes use of mercenaries. Many famous mercenary companies such as the Dark Sky, the Silver Spears and Agar’s Horde have found themselves in the Archon’s employ.
The Thormenalan navy is a large, professional force constantly in combat with Kandoran and Koronnan privateers, Traazorite expeditionary fleets and the occasional Shakrim raider.
Religion
The Thormenalans have a Faeler majority that worships the Varanic religion and its pantheon of gods. This pantheon consists of twelve gods and goddesses ruled over by Vidunar, the god of war and his wife Ailea, the goddess of peace. Temples to these gods exist throughout the Faeler countries (Falkaar, Haradel and Thormenal) with Thormenal’s cities holding several. However, the other races make up a significant portion of the Thormenalan population and Symker and Chaler gods are worshipped there as well.
Foreign Relations
View of Outsiders
Reflecting their cosmopolitan makeup, Thormenalans are very welcoming of outsiders – and their gold of course. There is no more religiously tolerant nation. Indeed there are even laws on the books in Thormenal protecting the right of its citizenry to worship as they will. People from every nation on Faelon may be found in the streets of the Seven Cities.
Capital
Head of State
Currency
Thormenal mints all of its own coins and lots of them. It mints the Guilder from a gold-silver alloy called electrum in order to help temper the effects of inflation.
Florin: gold, 15 grams
Guilder: electrum, 15 grams
Thaler: silver, 15 grams
Shilling: bronze, 15 grams
Groat: copper, 15 grams
Guilder: electrum, 15 grams
Thaler: silver, 15 grams
Shilling: bronze, 15 grams
Groat: copper, 15 grams
Major Exports
Manufactured goods.
Official State Religion
Notable Members
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