Enia
“Enia” (ənjɑ), officially the "Merchant Republic of Enia"; is a sovereign nation on the west coast of Summum. Its borders extend from the Ayoric river in the North to the River Ordun in the south. It is currently in a border dispute with neighboring Avalin around [Nameable Town A].
Enia's terrain is chiefly coastal farmland, however it is most well known for its deep river deltas and accessible beachheads. Enia is a Mercantile Oligarchy under the Bastion Banking Houses with its capital in Cartam, the country's largest city and commercial center; other major urban areas include Mardin and Calderbank.
Enia was settled by Edoic settlers during the Resurgence Period as part of Ayoria. It acted as Ayoria's primary warehousing and mercantile hub due to its unique placement between Summum's two largest rivers. The Edos Civil War saw the return of Edoic forces to Solum, leaving the Bastion Banking Houses (more commonly known simply as 'The Bastion') as the remaining administrators of the region. The Merchant Republic of Enia was established when its wealthiest citizens sought stronger authority over the region, and modeled their administration after that of the Bastion.
Geography
Landscape and Rivers
Settled between the Ayoric and the River Ordun with gentle sloping beaches ideal for dock building, Enia finds itself in the remnants of one of Edos' most important regions in Ayoria. Its eastern reaches see the beginnings of the famed Ayoric Golden Sea, the massive swathes of arable land found now in Avalin and Ordun.
Climate
Weather on the west coast of Summum is historically gentle, and while conditions worsen as you head north Enia represents the last fair weather mainstay before entering the brisk reaches of Kratis. Enia is particularly famous for occupying the meeting point of the easterly winds of the Dawncrest Mountains and the northerly winds of the Dunnec Firth - providing ideal conditions for quick sailing south-west towards the blossoming trade hub of Celenis.
Nature and Wildlife
Similar to neighboring Avalin, Enia presents little exotic wildlife save for the interesting marine biology of its coasts. Game accessing Enia from Avalin's forests are a mainstay sight outside of Cartam, as well as the migratory birds heading to and from Kratis in the middling seasons.
History
The Bastion Banking Houses have spent the last five centuries establishing themselves as the primary banking system of Solum, their branches present in nearly every major city (Elyra's being the obvious exception). The Bastion is known primarily for its introduction of the Solum Mint, the now since standardized currency system appearing in every Solum and Summum nation, as well as its liberal approach to loans. The Bastion was one of the earliest investors in Edos' rampant settling of Ayoria, and found itself an early home in what was then the "Enian Warehousing Hub".
The Edos Civil War saw a near instant departure of Edoic administrative and military force from Enia, its famed trade winds taking them across the Glass for an early assault against rebelling Dawnward. Left to their own devices the Bastion (along with the sizeable wealthy elite left in Enia) began the enlistment of Edoic soldiers abandoning their posts to form a private army capable of defending its interests in the region. This private army quickly defined the jurisdiction of future Enian rule, encountering Brassic blockers in the north, Triumvirate loyalists in the south, and General Avalin's legion in the east.
The closing weeks of the civil war suggested Enia to become a mainstay in the region along with Solana and Thera, all three managing to maintain order and enforce sovereignty during the difficult times. Avalin, Summum's burgeoning central nation, was quickly descending into chaos with the natural death of its leader, General Tiberius Avalin, prompting its own power struggle. Many believed it likely that Avalin would be subsumed by its stable bordering nations, but instead saw a reunification under Kotryna Lazaric. Avalin, now under new leadership, took Enia by surprise when Lazaric's flag appeared outside the walls of [Nameable Town A] and began a brutal assault on the surrounding region. Backed by the Bastion's navy, Enia found little success in defense of a ground assault and began collecting on favors from Edoic and Vedean debtors. The final result saw Avalin's successful capture of Nameable Town A but an inability to hold it from river-assault by Bastion ships, leaving the area in contention.
By the close of the Edos Civil War, Enia had been transformed from a warehousing hub into a full-fledged economic staple nation, maintaining and expanding the trade flow of its two rivers. The foundling nation had managed to repel several Brassic attempts at seizing the Ayoric river delta, and managed to avoid the bulk of the civil war's infighting in Ordun. The re-arrival of Edos' influence in the region via General Lugotorix's forces in Ordun drew considerable concern that Enia would be the first conquered on his campaign to reunite Ayoria. These concerns quickly vanished when Lugotorix (and by extension, his compatriot Triumvirs) quietly acknowledged the coastal nation and began marching east for Irrigan. Speculators and critics have guessed that Edos' coffers dwindling in the twilight year of the civil war saw considerable Bastion support and the acknowledgement of sovereignty a substantial repayment during a time in which the Triumvirate needed Summum resources to get Edos back on its economic feet.
Considerable and renewed aggression from Avalin in 521 saw the contested area between their nations erupt into fighting at the borders. This time with increased animosity Avalin forces attempted to seize Nameable Town A to gain a foothold on the River Ordun. An unknown deal was truck with Lugotorix's forces in Ordun to reinforce the city against Avalin. His forces able to repel the second invasion and leaving behind some five thousand troops to guard the city, Lugotorix returned to his finish his campaign with the Fall of Irrigan. Ordun's allying with Avalin has since been answered by Brassic allyship and support of Avalin, seeing the region turn into a true proxy war between Solum's two great powers in the wake of the Brass Accords.
Governance
While Enia is ruled by the will of the great Beau Monde families, every fifth year they elect a Count from among them to act as the political figurehead. This office’s power is greatly limited by the need to seek approval of the council, but it is effective in managing minor political, ambassadorial, and administrative tasks.
Currently the position is held by Count Marek Tryon, who has held the office for two consecutive terms. Count Marek, originally considered a moderate pick for the office, has shown great acumen in the position and is now widely considered the most powerful man in the republic. While a man with many rivals, his position is notably secure and there are rumblings that this run of consecutive terms is merely the beginning of a much longer term strategy that is only just now unfolding.
Politics
Enia remains a bank at its heart, and while certainly capable of raising a military force to defend its assets, it typically lays its sovereignty at the feet of coin. While perhaps the highest echelons of most nations are free of Bastion debt, five hundred years of continued practice has seen wide swathes of local rulers, warlords, and administrators find their names in the famed Book of Encumbrances. As the high priests of Celenis are capable of swaying foreign policy through the churches across Solum, so too has the Circle of Coin been able to defend itself with its spiderweb of debt. An aggressor to Enia (or any of the Bastion's interests) could see the economy of their regional power slump, or their linchpin military force arrive just too late to a battle resulting in their defeat. Indeed while nations like the Brassics or Edos are capable of self-sustaining and would certainly survive a trade war against the Bastion, one would still find themselves indebted to their opponent one way or another.
Law
Enia’s nature as a mercantile nation prioritizes commercially-driven results. Minor crimes are often punished with hefty fines, often directly benefiting the local governments. This method often is seen as a “pay-to-play” system with bribes and pocketed fines for the more wealthy and influential being seen as a daily occurrence.
The poor are often subjected to recurring fines as the inability to pay a fine can lead to being pressured into indentured servitude, leading to loss of direct employment, perpetuating a cycle of a permanent underclass of foreigners, military prisoners, and criminals effectively serving as the backbone of the Enian economy.
Major crimes sentenced to hard labor primarily in the logging, shipbuilding, and stone cutting industries. Chain gangs are a common sight in the labor camps of the province, with criminals of all types and military prisoners working shoulder-to-shoulder. This system has lead to more than one uprising in the last century, and Enia’s military rivals are all too keen to capture these camps, both for the resources they offer, but also that immediate reinforcement of their forces by entire camps worth of prisoners that can be won over with promises of financial and criminal amnesty.
Military
The Enian Expeditionary Company is a highly skilled, highly equipped, well supplied smaller army mostly made up of mercenaries from other country’s wars. Many of its cohorts are privately owned. They are known colloquially as the “Bastards of the Bastion,” and though they don’t fight often, when they do they have a reputation for brutality, holding out under siege for long periods, victory and ruthlessness. Commercial gain by looting and sacking is a common and celebrated practice. Victory is not measured by the dead or region control necessarily but by commercial gain.
Notable Treaties and Relationships
Avalin
Relations between Avalin and Enia remain hostile, though the inclusion of Edos' forces in defense of [Nameable Town A] and increased Ordun aggression towards Solana has seen the conflict between the two left in a cooling period.
Edos
While historically a part of Ayoria, Enia has managed to not only protect itself from the military of Edos but ally itself with both Triumvir Lugotorix and Triumir Alpus. The exact nature of the relationship between Edos and Enia remains somewhat of a mystery, though for now it appears they are allies.
Thera
Enia has historically been a steadfast ally of Thera, the "sister-city" to Cartam on the Ayoric River and significant trade ally. Enia has seen increased interest in Thera after the discovery of Weldon's Pass and the early signs of a second adventuring rush. Thera exists as the primary sticking point for relations between Enia and Edos, the latter viewing Thera as its rightful territory and was considered the final piece of Ayoric reunification under Ordun's late General Emem.
Kratis
At the dawn of the Edos Civil War, Kratis viewed Enia as the path of least resistance to scooping up Edoic colonies in the region - Thera and Avalin being occupied by former Edoic legions. Brassic attempts at seizing the territory were met with surprising failures, both in Enia's willingness to defend against the invading berserkers and the Bastion's success at disrupting Kratis' supply routes. Kratis (and the Brassics) have since turned their attention towards Avalin as a potential ally for weakening Enian stability in the region.
Guilds and Organizations
The Bastion Banking House
Ostensibly Solum's oldest banking organization, the Bastion has branches in nearly every city across Arcanorum. As the progenitors, funders, and original administrators of Enia their very structure is baked into the functioning of the government. A multinational organization the banking houses attract Vedean scribes, Brassic enforcers, and Edoic financiers the world over.
The Enian Shipyards & Shipwrights Guild
The Edos Civil War presented substantial difficulty for the Bastion, its original shipyards in Dawnward and Helecanth left in an unknown state as the nation tumbled into chaos. Presented with a unique opportunity in Cartam by having unique access to a sizeable deep water port as well as significant lumber the Bastion invested heavily in the creation of new shipyards along the coast. The Enian Shipyards are now widely considered the largest and most productive in Summum, rivaled only by Kratis' longboat production in Kraytholm.
The Enian Expeditionary Company
Markedly a mercenary force the Enian Expeditionary Company is the Bastion's latest development in rogue banking. While formalized sub-structures are non-existent due to the private ownership of its cohorts the group can typically be separated along lines of purpose. Originally formed as a means to combat Elyran piracy along its trade routes the naval portion of the EEC remains the largest of sub divisions. Closely following is the "Bastards of the Bastion", the subdivision created at the outset of Enia to defend its developing borders and protect land-based assets. Garnering a reputation for brutality, holding out under siege for long periods, and ruthlessness the Bastards of the Bastion are quickly becoming more known than their naval brothers. Commercial gain by looting and sacking is a common and celebrated practice. Victory is not measured by the dead or region control necessarily but by commercial gain. The smallest and most recent of EEC expansions sees an official leaning towards the "expeditionary" portion, seeking extra-national wealth capitalization for Enia in the form of adventuring.
The Circle of Coin
While not formally the overseers of Enia, the Bastion's board of directors has placed a great interest in the blossoming nation and is known to contain a member or two of the Beau Monde.
The Beau Monde
The wealthy elite of Enia that forged the nation with nodded approval from the Bastion itself, the Beau Monde now acts as a tightly knit social caste of cutthroat capitalists. Notable of the Beau Monde's structure is the ease at which a family can be ejected from its dignified ranks, and the near impossibility of actually entering it.
Major Cities
Cartam - Enia's Capital
Cartam remains the crown jewel of Enia, it is perhaps the most well regulated port on the continent, and often therefore both the most efficient, and also the one most concerned with formalities. Whereas visitors to other city's ports might find themselves bribing their way through checkpoints, Enia’s port is a stickler for the regulations. On the plus side if a shipment goes through Enia, it’s assured it’ll get where it’s going provided all the paperwork is complete.
Culture
Enia rivals Solana and Thera for the most diverse of Summum's nations - the trade hub attracting numerous nationals from many countries. That being said Enia was a former Edos colony and the nation's holidays, traditions, and cultural practices remain the "norm" of the region.
See Also: Edos
Nation Info
Official Name: The Merchant Republic of EniaCapital: Cartam
Population: ~225,000
Government: Mercantile Oligarchy
Leader: Marek Tryon
Leader Title: Count
Demonym: Enian
Major Exports:
- Lumber
- Stone
- Old Empire Artifacts
Military
- 10,000 Combatants
- Warships: 40 Warships
Breed Distribution
Religion Distribution
- 60% - The Manifold Path
- 30% - The Highlord
- 5% - The Sentinel
- 5% - Other
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
~ Dylan Thomas