Zelmesca
Zelmesca is located inland of the Broken Sea to the East and is surrounded by Esto'Rhia, Al'Tahim, Vastan, Tenebre Dontae, and the Solacine Imperium. The bulk of the realm is situated between the Westfell and Eastfell ranges of the Azure mountains, and counts them as their strongest defenses against the other realms.
Once torn by war across multiple conflicts, the most recent of which was the 11 year Faction war, Zelmesca has struggled to exist as a single realm with a single voice for almost the entire time it has existed Independent of the Solacine Imperium of which it was previously a province. The wars have given the Zelmesca a reputation for being lawless and its people barbaric, even the land bears the scars of these conflicts with wild magic and dead magic zones scattered across the realm. The people of the realm have recently unified as threats from outside the realm encroach upon them.
The realm is divided into two main sections: Inner Zelmesca, which is located within the protected space between the Westfell and Eastfell ranges, and Outer Zelmesca, which is the areas that directly border other realms outside of these two ranges.
Structure
The High Council
Zelmesca's main legislative body is the High Council, composed of the Ministry of Landgrafs who rule the inner realm and the Ministry of Margrafs who rule the outer realm. Each of the Grafs was formally a para noble who was elevated to proper noble status upon unification. Each of the Grafs governs over their respective territories and coordinates with the others of the assembly on matters that affect the whole realm. Laws and policies are introduced, voted upon, and presented to the Chancellor for official ratification. The High Council is overseen by the Chancellor who is elected to the position by the assembly itself. In order to be elected, a candidate for High Chancellor must be voted into position by a 2/3rd's majority of the council. Once the Chancellor is chosen, he serves in the position until one of three conditions is met: He is slain, he steps down, or he is removed by unanimous vote. Ministry of Landgrafs
The Ministry of Landgrafs is made up of the heads of each Landgraf house who rule of their respective counties of Inner Zelmesca, the region located inside the mountains. The Landgrafs are responsible for handling most of the domestic issues of the realm that require consensus and uniformity between the counties in order to be put into action. Though each Landgraf has the authority to enact their own rules within their county, most will align laws and policies with other counties in the interests of keeping citizens familiar with the laws. The largest differences in policies for Landgrafs usually concerns farming and production, with some of the counties having wildly different industries as others. Some may have strict conservation of trees while another is much more lax in order to provide lumber to the rest of the realm. The Ministry of Landgrafs concerns itself mostly with these issues and monitors these numbers closely. Ministry of Margrafs
The Ministry of Margrafs is the contemporary organization to the Landgrafs that oversees all of the matters concerning the counties of Outer Zelmesca. Because these counties all sit outside of the protective mountain range and directly border other realms, the Margrafs are more heavily involved in defense of the realm. These concerns cover not just the military but the construction of various fortifications. Margrafs are more militarized than their Landgraf counterparts but are still responsible for providing income and resources for the rest of the realm. Though it could be argued that the Margrafs have more responsibilities and a more difficult job, the Landgrafs will often provide assistance to a Margraf who's county they neighbor, and in return a Margraf is typically more than happy to lend military force when needed. Each of the respective Ministries will try to keep duties evenly divided on matters of the realm whenever possible.
Zelmesca's main legislative body is the High Council, composed of the Ministry of Landgrafs who rule the inner realm and the Ministry of Margrafs who rule the outer realm. Each of the Grafs was formally a para noble who was elevated to proper noble status upon unification. Each of the Grafs governs over their respective territories and coordinates with the others of the assembly on matters that affect the whole realm. Laws and policies are introduced, voted upon, and presented to the Chancellor for official ratification. The High Council is overseen by the Chancellor who is elected to the position by the assembly itself. In order to be elected, a candidate for High Chancellor must be voted into position by a 2/3rd's majority of the council. Once the Chancellor is chosen, he serves in the position until one of three conditions is met: He is slain, he steps down, or he is removed by unanimous vote. Ministry of Landgrafs
The Ministry of Landgrafs is made up of the heads of each Landgraf house who rule of their respective counties of Inner Zelmesca, the region located inside the mountains. The Landgrafs are responsible for handling most of the domestic issues of the realm that require consensus and uniformity between the counties in order to be put into action. Though each Landgraf has the authority to enact their own rules within their county, most will align laws and policies with other counties in the interests of keeping citizens familiar with the laws. The largest differences in policies for Landgrafs usually concerns farming and production, with some of the counties having wildly different industries as others. Some may have strict conservation of trees while another is much more lax in order to provide lumber to the rest of the realm. The Ministry of Landgrafs concerns itself mostly with these issues and monitors these numbers closely. Ministry of Margrafs
The Ministry of Margrafs is the contemporary organization to the Landgrafs that oversees all of the matters concerning the counties of Outer Zelmesca. Because these counties all sit outside of the protective mountain range and directly border other realms, the Margrafs are more heavily involved in defense of the realm. These concerns cover not just the military but the construction of various fortifications. Margrafs are more militarized than their Landgraf counterparts but are still responsible for providing income and resources for the rest of the realm. Though it could be argued that the Margrafs have more responsibilities and a more difficult job, the Landgrafs will often provide assistance to a Margraf who's county they neighbor, and in return a Margraf is typically more than happy to lend military force when needed. Each of the respective Ministries will try to keep duties evenly divided on matters of the realm whenever possible.
Military
Zelmesca doesn't have a large standing military due to the years of civil war, however the different factions from the war have come together to lend their own forces to form specialized military units to handle different tasks and threats as the main body of the military gets built up. What standing military Zelmesca has is slowly being outfitted with firearms provided by Svenari Arms based out of Gilamastre.Much of the military is overseen by the Ministry of Margrafs.
The Couriers
Though commissioned and managed as a military branch, the Couriers mostly service the civilian population of Zelmesca and the surrounding areas. The Courier division was commissioned by Elliot Walsh in the final years of the Faction War as a means to provide a means of communication across the realm and delivery of individual parcels. The service is intended to connect people with one another in a realm fractured by war. Couriers were among the first to be properly trained in firearms, with each member being issued a rifle and some carrying revolvers. Couriers are given a route that can range from the domestic routes of inner Zelmesca to the foreign routes that bring them to other realms entirely. Each courier is also given a horse specially bred for long distance riding. Regardless of route issued, Couriers are specially trained in survival and marksmanship for their lives alone on the road. Part of the Courier code covers the extreme lengths a Courier will go to in order to ensure delivery of a letter or parcel. Those attempting to interfere with delivery are typically met with deadly force. The Order of the Crimson Light
Once it's own faction before unification, the Order of the Crimson Light serves as a special branch in the Zelmescan military that specializes in psychic power and phenomena. When acting as it's own Faction, the order would force psychic's to join or die, but in the modern structure the Order has a slightly softer approach that involves monitoring new psychic talent while strongly encouraging it to join and train it's abilities to a minimal level so that they might not pose a threat to others. Though the whole order is tasked with handling psychic threats and training psychic power, the only full psions in the order are the Judges which hold a rank roughly equivalent to that of a Knight. Minor psychic talents or those highly familiar with how to handle psychic phenomena such as occultists may serve under individual Judges as Prosecutors. The whole order is headed by the Judge Marshal who reports directly to the High Chancellor of the realm.
Though commissioned and managed as a military branch, the Couriers mostly service the civilian population of Zelmesca and the surrounding areas. The Courier division was commissioned by Elliot Walsh in the final years of the Faction War as a means to provide a means of communication across the realm and delivery of individual parcels. The service is intended to connect people with one another in a realm fractured by war. Couriers were among the first to be properly trained in firearms, with each member being issued a rifle and some carrying revolvers. Couriers are given a route that can range from the domestic routes of inner Zelmesca to the foreign routes that bring them to other realms entirely. Each courier is also given a horse specially bred for long distance riding. Regardless of route issued, Couriers are specially trained in survival and marksmanship for their lives alone on the road. Part of the Courier code covers the extreme lengths a Courier will go to in order to ensure delivery of a letter or parcel. Those attempting to interfere with delivery are typically met with deadly force. The Order of the Crimson Light
Once it's own faction before unification, the Order of the Crimson Light serves as a special branch in the Zelmescan military that specializes in psychic power and phenomena. When acting as it's own Faction, the order would force psychic's to join or die, but in the modern structure the Order has a slightly softer approach that involves monitoring new psychic talent while strongly encouraging it to join and train it's abilities to a minimal level so that they might not pose a threat to others. Though the whole order is tasked with handling psychic threats and training psychic power, the only full psions in the order are the Judges which hold a rank roughly equivalent to that of a Knight. Minor psychic talents or those highly familiar with how to handle psychic phenomena such as occultists may serve under individual Judges as Prosecutors. The whole order is headed by the Judge Marshal who reports directly to the High Chancellor of the realm.
Religion
For more than a few decades, the importance of religion within Zelmesca had diminished. Numerous clerics who lived within the realm claimed that they could not hear the voices of their gods, despite still being able to work magic. Only recently have the voices of the gods returned to Zelmesca, though many of the various shrines and temples have fallen into disrepair.
Infrastructure
Much of Zelmesca's infrastructure is fragmentary. Even before the Faction War, large portions of the infrastructure were already falling into disrepair or being destroyed through inner conflict and raids from brigands or vampire apostates. The war compounded this issue, with each Faction prioritizing different aspects of the infrastructure that best suited their needs at the time.
The Old Solacine Roads
When Zelmesca was still a province of the Solacine Imperium, a standard network of roads was built to allow for troop movement and trade. These roads were built well enough that they still serve their purpose today, with many reaching even the most remote parts of the realm. During the war different parts of the network were protected and maintained by different factions, leading to varying states of disrepair. Some of the more remote locations are watched closely by brigands and raiders.
When Zelmesca was still a province of the Solacine Imperium, a standard network of roads was built to allow for troop movement and trade. These roads were built well enough that they still serve their purpose today, with many reaching even the most remote parts of the realm. During the war different parts of the network were protected and maintained by different factions, leading to varying states of disrepair. Some of the more remote locations are watched closely by brigands and raiders.
Type
Geopolitical, Republic
Capital
Alternative Names
The Republic of Zelmesca
Demonym
Zelmescan
Government System
Democracy, Parliamentary
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Market economy
Legislative Body
Zelmescan High Council, Composed of Ministry of Landgrafs and Ministry of Margrafs
Neighboring Nations
Comments