Solana
"Solana" (soʊlɑnɑ), officially the "Republic of Solana" is a sovereign nation in the eastern portion of Summum, backed by the Dawncrest Mountains. Its borders extend from the Ayoric River to the River Ordun, and shares a border with neighboring Avalin.
Solana's terrain is chiefly steep foothills and mountainous slopes, however it also possesses a fertile growing region in its western portion, north of Solon's Rest. Nation is a representative democracy with its capital in "Solon's Rest", the country's largest town and main primary commercial hub; other major urban areas include the mining towns of Azenmour and Ozryn.
Ordun was settled by Edoic settlers during the Resurgence Period as part of Ayoria and gained its sovereignty at the onset of the Edos Civil War. Solana, historically a mining district of Ayoria saw little wealth in the early days of Summum settling, the Dawncrest Mountains containing little precious metals such as gold or silver. The discovery of the Azenmour ruins, and subsequent Marklas, Ozryn, Hjialkin, and Jopayk ruins in 473 EC saw the explosion of the First Age of Adventuring in Summum as powerful artifacts of an unknown civilization emerged from the depths. Solana's time in the limelight would not last and the nation saw popular interest dwindle as the ruins were stripped and left barren. Returning to its former identity as a mining settlements, but now containing many retiring wealthy adventurers the region became a hotbed for independence. Solana was the earliest to declare its sovereignty at the start of the Edos Civil War and is considered the "blueprint for democracy" in Summum.
Geography
Landscape and Rivers
Solana is primarily a rocky, mountainous, and generally unpleasant terrain to traverse, its settlements typically thousands more feet above its neighboring nations. Ozryn and Solon's rest lay against the northern shores of the River Ordun and the bulk of commerce produced by the nation travel down the river to Mardin and Veritin for shipment back to Solum.
Climate
Like its neighbor to the north, Solana receives little rain but incredible amounts of snowfall and melt from the Dawncrest Mountains. The air is considered exceptionally dry, and lightning storms are a frequent occurrence in the summer months.
Nature and Wildlife
Solana also receives much the same of its neighbor's wildlife - typically in the form of large predators descending from the mountains, or emerging from Solana's many mines. The Capital of Solana: Solon's Rest
History
Settling and Hjalmoric Interests
The industrious and guild-driven masses of Hjalmor were some of the last to arrive on Summum’s golden shores, but their influence would come to permeate every inch of Summum’s civilizations. This influence can be seen no better than in the foothills of Solana. While lawfully a former settlement of Edos and the primary prospecting district of Ayoria, Solana has been culturally dominated by the Hjalmorians that predominate its population. Solana’s origins as a mining prospect initially encouraged the influx of the lone entrepreneur staking claims along the base of the Dawncrest mountains, and it came as little surprise when Hjalmorian guilds began co-opting and assimilating interests. Only fifteen years after the formalized founding of Ayoria, Hjalmorian guilds had practically treed every industry sprouting across the entirety of the lowlands. The miners of Solana and the arborists of Ordun and Avalin found support in Guild contracts near instantly - to say nothing of the Fasteners who built the cities and the Porters who connected them.
The First Age of Adventuring
Solana’s reputation as a simple mining district would die a dazzling death, replaced by the burgeoning new class of Solumites - Adventurers. Discovered during Solana’s longest running mining operation the Azenmour mines breached into a cavernous chamber the likes of which are unseen outside Strikeholme. Beneath the Dawncrest mountains lay cities of unparagoned complexity and size, and to the further surprise of many, artifacts of mind boggling power. Overnight Solana turned from a quiet mining and quarrying backroad to the center stage of Summum’s ‘Solana Strike’, the largest landrush in modern history. The opening of Ozryn and Marklas only further cemented Solana’s newfound prominence as the land of myth. Adventurers from Solum spilled forth into the unknown cities below Azenmour and Ozryn to unlock their secrets and claim incredible wealth, and few would return from their bygone caverns.
“The problem with treasure is that for it to be treasure, there can’t be much of it.”
The waning of artifacts from Solana’s cities saw its slump in popularity, the quoted “golden age of adventuring” coming to a decisive end as markets flooded with chunks of ruinous stone in place of the former glittering artifacts. Solana saw a quiet but resistant return to mining, many former adventurers opting to settle down on the swathes of foothill land they had trained skills on. The mighty ruins of the Dawncrest mountains were quietly stripped by the quarriers, their ancient stones shipped down rivers to continue construction on the still thriving coastal cities of Ayoria.
The Riots of Ozryn, the Edos Civil War
It should come then as little surprise that between Hjalmor’s penchant for guilds and the fierce individualism of adventurers that Solana’s second endowment to Summum would be the concept of a republic loosely based on Vedea’s. Hindsight proves Solana to be the first cleft in Edos’ iron grip of Ayoria when the good folk of Ozryn rose up against the Edoic rulers (and recently increased taxation) in the Riots of Ozryn in 510. While swiftly and ruthlessly put down by Edoic military forces the concept of self-governance endured in Solana, and would re-emerge only weeks after the outbreak of the Edos Civil War. Solana quickly united under the banner of Solon’s Rest, and the rogue-generals of Marrenvale and Irrigan threw backing to their cause. A similar structure of rule would appear shortly in Thera and Ordun, each adopting legislative assemblies and forming militias.
Solana’s current state sees it once again as a quiet backwater of its neighboring countries, still supplying stone and ore to the rest of Summum. It’s senate is widely considered to be adequate compared to Thera’s chaotic and combative variant, but its aging population sees its former-hero crewed militias dwindling in their twilight years. The Fall of Irrigan in 522 has placed significant concern in its ruling body as Solon’s Rest is now only a river away from its former rulers. Solana has since entered into a shaky alliance with neighboring Thera and Avalin, hoping to garner military support in the event of an Edoic invasion.
Governance
Solana sees itself overseen by the Three Assemblies of Solon’s Rest, Ozryn, and Azenmour, each containing members of the public elected by the people in a similar fashion to Vedea’s High Chamber. The Three Assemblies then come together at 75-strong in the town of Solon’s Rest, overseen by their own two internally elected Consuls. The consuls themselves are limited to a single year of continuous rule (though their return to the position after hiatus is allowed) which primarily oversees the administration of the Assemblies themselves as well as acting as joint heads of state. Local elections are limited to landowners of Solana, an edict that remains uncontested only for Solana’s near non-existent non-landowning population who are typically traders spending less than a month in the country over a year.
Politics
Solana’s history is one of general languor marked by a brief period of explosive frenzy that captured the entire world. Solana’s concept of rugged individualism and self-rule was mostly entertained conditionally by Edos with the importance of the artifacts emerging from its ruins. Its recent decline from producing artifacts and treasures has seen its reputation amongst Solum’s countries dwindle - what was once considered something of a teenage rebellious streak is now seen by the typical Edosian as an exasperating barrier to the reunification of Ayoria. Nonetheless, its raw material production gives it some favor to its downstream nations, and Solon’s Dam an extremely powerful bargaining tool for the irrigated regions of Avalin and Ordun.
Notable Relationships
Solana is placed in a precarious position - the Fall of Irrigan now sees it and Avalin as the impediments of Edos’s former borders, and when push comes to shove Solana is the path of least resistance. These fears are further heightened by Avalin’s mind-boggling contestment of Enian territory and Thera’s Senate verging on collapse from external pressures. The discovery of Weldon’s Pass has pushed Solana into full-blown panic as the children of former adventurers surge northbound in a great exodus. The new nation has since entered into desperation, allowing neighboring Avalin to occupy Solon’s Rest with several cohorts to defend the city from Lord Callan Lugotorix, rumored to be marching his forces north to the river.
Culture
See also: Hjalmor, Edos
Nation Info
Official Name: The Republic of SolanaCapital: Solon's Rest
Population: ~195,000
Government: Feudal
Leader(s):
- Elvira Gould
- Pallas McCann
Demonym: Solanic
Major Exports:
- Stone
- Copper
- Lead
- Tin
- Iron
Military
- 2,500 Combatants
- Warships: No Naval Access
Breed Distribution
Religion Distribution
- 60% - The Manifold Path
- 20% - The Guardians
- 15% - The Highlord
- 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