Capellia
Formerly a great empire, Capellia has shrunk in size and power since the appearance of the OrkishRache. Still wealthy and relatively powerful, there is significant unrest in Capellia due to increased taxation and a pragmatic but passionless King Iohannes. Taxes are starving the peasants, but the fall of the current regime would surely invite an invasion. With its capitol, Kingseat, situated on its Eastern coast, Capellia sits as an opulent reminder of an older era when nations were built primarily on the wealth of vassals and colonies.
Structure
The entirety of Capellia is made up of four Duchies: Kingsland (Kingseat), Iascland (The Sisters), Draigmarch (Kingspass Post), and Rhonanham (Edgewood Junction). The Duchies are made up of Kingseat and its surrounding lands, and the three additional conquered nations who fell to Sigurd Capell at the dawn of the Age of Mortals to form the Capellia known today. Each of the 3 Dukes pay tribute to the king and are paid tribute in return by the Counts and Barons who rule over the major population centers.
Capellia is an Absolute Monarchy with an Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is made up of each of the 3 Dukes of Capellia, the Praetor of Tyr, the Advocate of Coin, the Advocate of Ships, the Advocate of War, and the Advocate of Information.
Culture
Capellian culture is based much on the fascination with the legal system. Criminal investigations and prosecutions are treated as religious, cultural, and entertainment events, meaning Capellian trials, especially high profile ones, can become a fanatical combination of sermon, showmanship, and political expression. The obsession with law extends to enforcement, with some of the continent's best professionally trained town guards for the majority of its towns and cities. Its guards and jailers are feared around the world, and many would have you believe Capellian jails are forsaken places that are worse than certain circles of Hell.
For nearly 6 millennia, Capellia was by far the dominant superpower of Aerd and to the Far West. Now, despite the fact that the empire fell 4,000 years ago, the average Capellian still holds their heads up with pride when conversing to citizens of other domains. The stereotype states that Capellians are snooty and elitist. They also have a reputation for sticking their noses into other people's business.
Public Agenda
Despite their relative fall from grace and loss of power, the nobles of Capellia continue to see their nation as a beacon of law and justice. They continue to encourage the idea of Capellia being the judge, jury, and executioner of all of Aerd. With this mindset, domestic policies and issues often take a backseat to those abroad, which has led to no small amount of unrest in the populace.
Assets
Through centuries of amassing wealth from Far Western vassals and colonies, Capellia has become one of the wealthiest nations in Aerd. While its relative wealth has decreased over the millennia since the loss of its empire, Kingseat continues to be a Aerdwide symbol of wealth and opulence. With thriving fishing and farming industries to the East and South and industrious production within its most populace cities, Aerd has been able to capitalize on its previous power to maintain its wealth. However, west Capellia has been less successful in building sustainable industry, and with the populace getting less and less support from the Crown, many towns to the West have started fall into disrepair.
History
Several decades after the death of the Everwyrm at the End of the Godslaughter Wars, a little known warlord named Sigurd Capell was able to unify warring clans of displaced Dreaucian pirates into a loose state called Riefsland, near modern day Kingseat. The resulting warband rode westward, quickly subjugating the nearby fertile nation of Rhonanham. With the ferocious fighting spirit of the Riefs and the supplies provides by the Rhonan, the band continued south, where they conquered the kraken worshipping fishermen, the Iasc. Finally, Sigurd turned his conquest westward towards the last Capellian nation to fall, Draigmarch. Despite the fighting prowess of the Wyvern knights, Sigurd was victorious by virtue of shear numbers. Once the Draigdyn surrendered, Riefsland was renamed Kingsland, the conquered nations were formally adopted as the Capellian Duchies, and Sigurd Capell forged himself a crown, declaring himself king of the new nation of Capellia.
For six millennia, Capellia took advantage of the weakened state of the world. The infamous Capellian Legionnaires cut their way through the Far West, bringing back wealth and power from afar. Their colonial exports allowed for extreme wealth, which led to relatively quick development in the areas of technology and industry. Capellia became known not just as a terrifying military power but as a financial and industrial powerhouse.
The upward momentum could not last forever, though, and in 6004 EM a group of orcs were able to secure an ancient, world-shattering weapon. In the hopes of freeing their imprisoned god, Gruumsh, the orcs used this weapon, devastating a huge section of the Capellian Empire, splitting it in two, and creating the huge wasteland known as the Desert of Orcish Desolation, or OrkishRache. The desert made travel and communication difficult between the two halves of the empire, and within a thousand years, the colonies of the Far West successfully gained their independence.
For centuries, the story of Capellian hubris was both the world's biggest joke and cautionary tale. However, once the Skybreaker Wars broke out, Capellia became instrumental in fighting back the Antynyxian assault. And although the Shattering destroyed the 2nd Capellian Legion, Capellia ended the war with more political clout than it started with. In light of the Shattering of Dreaux, the Great Dissolution of Áit Scáth, and the reprimandation of Antynyx, Capellia's relatively minor losses established it once again as the major regional power almost by default.
Military
Capellia has one of the largest and best trained armies in Aerd. They employ a standing army that in times of peace double as a police force assigned to population centers and a national guard to protect against seafaring pirates and raiding orcs. The army is divided in 4 separate legions whose bases of operations are stationed throughout Capellia. There was previously 5 Capellian legions, but the 2nd Capellian Legion was decimated in the Shattering of Dreaux.
Technological Level
Capellia is a large nation that is relatively well-developed. In the cities, especially, the wealth of the empire has led to industrialization on a large scale (near Victorian levels of development). In rural Capellia, however, that old wealth has dried up significantly, and the technology level more closely resembles high middle ages.
Religion
The state pantheon of Capellia is the Human Pantheon. Specifically, the Patron Gods of Capellia are the Triad, the Human Gods of Law: Tyr the Justicar, Torm the Executioner, and Ilmater the Patient. Each of these gods represent an aspect of Capellian law, with Ilmater representing the victims and jury, Torm representing law enforcers, and Tyr, chief of the three and all human gods, taking the role of judge and legislator.
Participating in the legal system is the predominant form of worship, with citizens voluntary participating as jury members in service of their gods. Of course, temples to each of the Triad and many other human gods exist throughout Capellia where more traditional worship takes place.
While religious worship is not legally mandated, the justice system of Capellia is fully intertwined, meaning all citizens will likely participate in the religious rites at some point in their lives.
Agriculture & Industry
Capellia is a trade leader when it comes to livestock, especially sheep and horses, and sheep have become the somewhat tongue-in-cheek mascot of Northern Capellia. Ranchers and traders from across Aerd travel to Husband's Haven in order to purchase and sell animals both domestic and exotic.
Capellia's expansive geography also allows for the growth of many crops. Cotton, tobacco, wheat, and rye are all commonly grown in northeast Capellia with pumpkins, squash, corn, and carrots grown in the foothills of southwest Capellia.
In the cities, industry is much more common. Dwarfdrop Harbor is a well known center for metal and mineral refinement and has the best blacksmiths in Capellia. The textile industry is huge in Kingseat, fueled by the bounty of local wool and cotton.
Trade & Transport
The Sisters and Kingseat both function as both commercial and passenger transport center. The Sisters in particular has a robust fishing and seafaring tradition, is often seen as the last stop before the long voyage south, and is perhaps the safest route to journey to either the Lands of Defiance or the Far West.
Hollow is the gavel without the gallows.
Founding Date
100 EG
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
Capellian Empire, the Southern Men, Law Dogs
Demonym
Capellian
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Market economy
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Comments