Promaticous
“…My home country is a beautifully robust nation. Nowhere else can you find such a tenacious people who have fought against fate. The loss of our magic has only strengthened our resolve, leading to the magnificent machines that allow us to stand toe-to-toe with our neighbors. Maybe someday we’ll show the world our might once again…”
Structure
Promaticous as a country has no former centralized government, rather representatives from each city convene to deliberate on national issues. These issues include national defense planning, inter-city infrastructure, international trade negotiations, and many more. Basically, if there is an issue that affects two of the three major cities there will be action taken by the national government.
The representatives that make up this government body consist of the prime ministers from Dásofum, Fontuva, and Mercommernaut and the highest donating governor from each town and village. The prime ministers decide on what issues to deliberate and act on. The governor’s role is to introduce issues that the governing body should act on and to write up any new laws, trade agreements, or budgetary plans. When deciding on a law or agreement the representatives vote on action or inaction. During the voting process each of the governors has one vote each and each of the prime ministers has five.
Culture
The people of Promaticous have a rich culture that only promotes personal wealth, ability, and a spirit of nationalism. The country has no form of banking system and has no need for one. The citizens tend to spend their earnings either on basic needs or donating to their city or town in order to climb the social ranks of the government, although citizens will save some money in personal staches for small purchases if they do not receive pay consistently. This ideology can compromise the integrity of the city government with rich citizens offering low interest loans to those who are at risk of losing their spot in government or desperately trying to participate in it. Those who accept these loans are also expected to act in favor of their loaner in any vote or action taken by the government.
The way that citizens make their money can be under a particular stigma. For citizens in the upper class, if how they made their money is considered as a “low level” job they run the risk of being ostracized. Some of these low-level jobs include factory work, mushroom farming, brick laying, etc. To avoid this, citizens who climb their way up into the upper crust by means of a “low level” job will attempt to obscure their source of income and/or change careers.
Due to their history as an empire, and the subsequent invasions that resulted in the country today, there is a great admiration for the military. In the eyes of the Promaticans the military is the only thing stopping the nations to the west from invading and wiping the country out forever. Almost one third of the money donated to each city is dedicated to the military budget because of this, allowing for the technical marvels that it produces.
Religion in Promaticous has slowly been losing its importance since the comet strike in 1111. Initially the belief was that the gods were punishing Promaticous for expanding their boarder past where they were meant to by taking away their magic. Over five hundred years have passed since that event and anyone living within the country cannot practice magic. During this time the belief in the gods has waned and replaced by the sentiment that the gods have abandoned the people. Currently religion is primarily practiced within major cities within temples that often serve multiple gods. Small tows and villages may have citizens that build shrines dedicated to certain gods but rarely have temples dedicated to any.
History
The country of Promaticous has had a rich and tumultuous history; from a small independent city state, to being a dominant power on the continent, just to be reduced to a fraction of their former selves after years of cataclysm and war. Promaticous was a humble druidic city state founded on the eastern coast of Malnova. The settlers became interested in the region after rumors that a living elder tree still stood somewhere within the ancient forests. In the year 862, after about two decades of searching, a druidic explorer named Dória Fýsis discovered the elder tree miles from the forest it was said to be. Rather, the elder tree resided in badlands to the east of those ancient forests. Fýsis promptly dubbed the elder tree Tuvan, then heralded her discovery across the land resulting in a mass pilgrimage to the giant tree. As more pilgrims arrived at Tuvan, the tents and makeshift shelters gave way to simple structures, open fields gave way to small markets, and thus a city was born. The city became known as Fontuva, and over the following several decades became one of the most prominent city-states on the continent.
For thirty-seven years after its founding Fýsis ruled over Fontuva, leading it towards natural harmony with the elder tree. Under their rule, Fýsis expanded the infrastructure to accommodate the flood of pilgrims that entered the city each year. This included dirt and gravel roads surrounding the tree and digging a large well to the northeast of Tuvan. As the years grew on the druidic ideals the city was founded on became less important to the population. Fýsis maintained that the city would crumble if it strayed far from its druidic roots, but her successor Andras Astéri saw things differently. Just before Astéri took power, they had developed a method to imbue arcane energy into everyday objects. This technique closely resembled the mystek of today, but much simpler. These devices rapidly spread throughout the city and could be found anywhere from the kitchen to an armory. This technology ignited a fire within the Fontuvans, the fires of expansion. Upon becoming the chief of Fontuva, At the onset of their rule in 901, Astéri stoked the fire within its citizens and started a campaign of expansion south into the deserts of Gaineamór and north along the Feramonto mountains. The cities of Mercommernaut and Dásofum were founded soon after reaching the northern edge of the Feramonto in the years 903 and 919 respectively. The city of Chaméni was founded after the conquest of deserts in the south in the year 923. With several cities under its control, the city-state of Fontuva became the nation of Promaticous.
The desire of conquest did not stop with mountains or the desert, the new nation had a hunger for territory to the west. The nation of Ezlekh in the west had been in turmoil since the fall of the Great Kahn allowing for an organized nation to rapidly take swathes of land. Promaticous began a great conquest starting in the year 969 expanding into much of central and southern Malnova. By 1007 Promaticous had reached the peak of its power holding territory from the southernmost tip of Malnova to the mountains of Feramonto, and from the eastern coast to as far west as the Kolrego River. The nations of the north were able to resist conquest from Promaticous by repurposing abandoned Promatcian technology against the encroaching army causing the boarder at the Feramonto mountains.
Despite reaching 200 years old, Astéri had led the nation through it all without any signs of aging. This was said to be the result of his research into an experimental implant that had greatly extended his life. His rule would last until the great cataclysm that struck the nation. In the year 1111 a comet crashed off the coast of Promaticous within Azur Gulf. The initial damage of this event was minimal, the city of Mercommernaut only suffering minor flooding. The lasting damage was much more harsh, any person living in the coastal cities of Promaticous lost their connection to the arcane permenatly. This effect crippled the country’s economy, military, and spirit leading to a long period of degradation. The machines that kept Astéri alive are also thought to have failed soon after the comet strike due to lack of any mention of them after this date.
From 1112 to 1272 Promaticous lost territory from invasions and rebellions leaving only the cities of Dásofum, Fontuva, and Mercommernaut and surrounding towns. Even the elder tree Tuvan became ill from the effects of the comet, a sickness which still lingers today. The country would have been completely eradicated if it weren’t for the anti-magic effect that enveloped the land east of the Feramonto mountains. A t reaty was formed between the new Elzekh empire, Vomethnda, and Promaticous itself that the nation is never to expand outside of its current territory or face total annihilation. For the next 200 years the nation of Promaticous would become isolationist as their entire government structure was reorganized. The new government would stray from the imperial style of government and become a pseudo republic where those who pay enough money to the state can become a part of it.
After the turbulence of restructuring had passed, Promaticous had emerged as a respectable mercantile nation, willing to buy or sell anything to anyone. An important early transaction was a mercenary contract with Ezlekh starting in the year 1450. Promaticous was to aid the imperial government of Ezlekh with putting down the various rebellions popping up around the country while their main fighting force was busy fighting Vomethndan forces to the north. This contract resulted in Promaticous plunging into a war with Vomethnda themselves. This war started in 1499 and ended in 1525 with the end of the first Promatican-Ezlekhi contract. Neither side gained, nor lost any territory, but Vomethndan forces did make off with a large cache of old Promatican technology.
In the year 1559 a milestone in technological development had been achieved. A young inventor named Karij Raeda discovered a way to breathe life into mechanical machines using steam powered engines. This discovery launched the country into an age of industrialization which is still going on today. Raeda himself designed and created many machines that are still used today, such as autocarriages and the grand ships that travel across the sea without the use of sails.
Demography and Population
The current population of Promaticous is 15 million, with a demographic distribution of 14% satyr, 11% triton, 8% minotaur, 7% centaur, and 60% of all other races. See visual breakdown of the population in the sidebar.
80% of the population lives in major cities such as Dásofum, Fontuva, and Mercommernaut, while the remaining 20% live in rural areas or smaller towns.
Territories
Promaticous rules over a long, but thin strip of land on the eastern coast of Malnova. They control land from as north as the river Spissus basin and as far south as the Kouko badlands. The western border is defined by the Feramonto mountains which span much of the country. The western border in the upper most region has been defined by a treaty between Promaticous and Vomethnda. The treaty declares that Promaticous can hold all land east of the Matena River and north of the Frida River. The land between the Frida and Matena are contested by both Promatcous and Vomethnda and it is currently under the rule of Promaticous. Other than land Promaticous controls the Azur Gulf to the northeast of Mercommernaut using it as their international trade port.
Military
Military power is an important part of the national identity for Promaticous. Once upon a time the nation was nearly a continent spanning empire but has since been reduced to the land they occupy now. This has left an impression on the nation, that it needs the means to defend itself against an overwhelming force that can harness magic unlike themselves. To this end a great force of weaponized vehicles, well equipped soldiers, and a massive fleet of ships.
The Promatican military believes in the mindset of “go big or go home”. Nothing reflects this greater than the walking fort they have built. The OC/A-0001 Atlas is a larger-than-life mobile military base that acts as the seat of military power for the region. The Atlas is the size of small city and can hold an entire fleet of aircraft, four legions of troops, 500 weaponized vehicles, and all of the mechanics, operators, officers, and other personnel required to keep the base running. The Atlas’s most impressive feature is the anti-magic field generator located near its core. This generator exploits the properties of misími bronze to project a field that makes magic unreliable to completely useless depending on the setting of the generator.
From the Atlas the three branches of the military are commanded, those being the Land Corps, Sea Corps, and Air Corps. The Land Corps is the standing army of Promaticous. They are the primary force deployed for mercenary contracts and the first line for city defense. The Land Corps also make use of mechanized weapons platforms such as tanks, artillery, and armored transports. The Sea Corps are the nation’s navy which defends its oceanic border and maintain safe trade routes for the nation using whale diesel powered ships outfitted with anything from catapults to cannons. The Air Corps is the smallest branch but is debatably the most versatile. Using aircraft built from wood and cloth and propelled via controlled explosives the Air Corps is primarily used for scouting but does have the ability to attack armies on their own using bomber and assault style aircraft.
Technological Level
Over the last 100 years Promaticous has developed rapidly into an industrial nation. After the nation lost its ability to harness magic it fell into a dark age for hundreds of years. This age lasted until the inventor Karij Raeda built a mechanical crane that could lift loads up to three tons with nothing but a steam powered engine. The very same inventor made many advancements in his lifetime to help lead the nation to where it is today. In major cities it is now common to have commodities like electricity for lighting, central heating and cooling, and indoor plumbing. Transportation has also been improved with the advent of autocarriages, engine driven ships and boats, and even simple aircraft. Manufacturing has also become commonplace, reducing the cost of producing many goods from clothing to vehicles. All these advancements are powered by a singular substance, whale diesel. This fuel, which is derived from the oil of visanimus whales, is considered liquid gold to the nation which hunts said whales relentlessly in the northern seas. Most of the fuel created in Promaticous is used domestically and can be rarely found outside the nation.
Religion
While faith in religion is wanning in Promaticous, it is still practiced heavily by the wealthy and politically affluent. The Major religions for the country follow the gods of Kyclonas and Froúdia. Kyclonas is primarily worshipped in Mecommernaut where trade by sea in an important part of life in the city. Froúdia is primarly worshipped in Fontuva due to the deep druidic roots of the city and due to the elder tree Tuvan. Minor religions practiced in the country include the worship of Bardagi, Dölkhair, and Küvüagaar. Worship of the Bardagi is seen as seen as taboo due to the ideals of war and conquest which almost destroyed the country.
Foreign Relations
Since Promaticous became a trading hub, it has had neutral to favorable relations with most countries around the world. Currently its two largest trading partners are the countries of Elzekh and Vomethnda which are supplied with Promatican mercenaries. Promaticous favors how Ezlekh uses its forces more than Vomethnda due to the mercenaries in Ezlekh being used mostly for city defense while Vomethnda actively uses them on front lines. Due to this, Promaticous charges Vomethnda a higher premium for the service.
A great rivalry exists between Promaticous and Altadawul, a country across the Mezo ocean. Both countries share a similar role with trade networks all over the world. The similarities have caused friction between the two countries. Trade ships from both countries are known to avoid ports where the other is docked or even skirmish in the open seas if they make contact. Currently, neither Altadawul nor Promaticous are willing to risk their trade networks to focus on a full-blown war.
Laws
The current national laws cover topics that affect the country as a whole, and rarely affect only one city or region. Some of the current laws include a trade agreement with Vomethnda for mercenaries and precious metals, barring Altadawul from any trade, a defense budget to maintain the military infrastructure, and funds for construction on a inter-city aqueduct system.
Trade & Transport
Promaticous is a prosperous trading hub on Malnova. Much of the infrastructure of the country is built to take goods in and ship goods out. Promaticous primarily acts as the middleman between countries across the Mezo Ocean and the western countries of Malnova. All trade by sea comes in through Mercommernaut and her ports, where goods are organized and stored in the massive warehouse in the Smither’s Belt district. From there the goods are distributed via whale diesel powered trucks along the network of brick lain roads. These trucks can carry products as far west as Bambai with only a single tank of fuel, allowing for efficient and expedient delivery.
In addition to working as a middleman, Promaticous also exports many of its own goods. Many materials produced within the country are highly desired around the globe such as various kinds of adhesives, blackstone bricks, visanimus whale blubber, whale diesel, horses, and the mysterious misími bronze. Even some produce such as dates, olives, and oranges are exchanged as far as the eastern continents. Recently a healthy trade of spirits and wine has been prospering between the nations of Ezlekh, Krasavishchee, Promaticous, and Vomethnda.
Using the wealth coming from its mercantile network, Promaticous imports many goods that are not easily produced within its country. Raw ores and materials such as iron, lumber, stone, and sulfur are imported from the western countries of Astraganto, Krasavishchee , and Vomethnda. Finer materials such as aluminum, copper, and gemstones are imported from countries such as Chertaminè, Ezlekh, and Fiáinetai. Promaticous also imports certain produce from around the world using state of the art chilled transport ships.
Education
Basic education is valued in the eyes of Promaticans. Since the industrialization of the nation, the children have been expected to learn to read and write and perform basic math. This is accomplished from one to eight years of formal education. This education often does not involve public schools, but rather private tutors who travel to private homes or apartments. It is common that a tutor will instruct children from multiple families at once in a common area of an apartment complex, or by gathering children and one family home. Due to this focus on early education, the literacy rate of Promaticous has increased from 34% to 82%.
Higher education is only attainable by the naturally gifted or the wealthy. Colleges in Promaticous such as Collegium Citharoedorum are expensive to attend, and scholarships are rarely given to anyone who isn’t seen as a savant in their field. Colleges are also extremely specialized, focusing on one or a few subjects. For example, the Katavolí Institute off the coast of Mercommernaut strictly focuses on technological development. Unless a person wants to pursue a job with that level of specialization, higher education is not needed, nor worth their time and money.
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Promatican
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Power Structure
Federation
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Ducat
Legislative Body
council style legislators
Controlled Territories
Related Species
Trade Partnership
Promaticous supplies mercenaries to supplement the Elzekhi forces with a heavy price. Ezlekh has a disposition of their use of anti-magic materils.
Trade Partnership
Promaticous supplies mercenaries to supplement Vomethundan military. These forces are typically made to fight on the fron lines. Promaticous charges Vomethunda a higher premium for those actions.
Cold War
The counties have become fierce trading rivals in the recent centry, almost to the point of all out war
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