Carinthia (Nation)
Sitting tall in the frozen north amidst the mountains and the snow, Carinthia's tall walls and taller towers are sentinels against a dire threat known as Wodr's Brood. The dragon and his children sit banished on the furthest floes of ice, unable to range past the tireless spearmen of Holy Carinthia. Make no mistake--travel to and from the nation is under as strict control as the Church holds the people. Devoted to Alophia and the legendary Knights blessed by Her power all other faiths--even those turned to the other Divinities--are discovered and denied.
Carinthia is inspired by French-German society and the Holy Roman Empire.
Structure
The foundations of power in Carinthia come from the Light of Alophia, and no mortal sits higher on that foundation than Archbishop Aedelweg von Achaard. Three branches of the church sit below his holy guidance: the ecclesiastical Priesthood that preaches and tends to the flock; the ruthless Inquisitors that root out heresy; and the powerful Ivory Aegis that enforce religious law and hunt down heretics. Regardless of the other power structures in the north, it is an understood fact that the Church sits above all.
That being said, ostensibly non-religious laws are met upon and settled by a counsel made up of nobility and church representatives. Each of the four Houses (Vaillant, Bellefeuille, Courtemanche, and Achaard) meet and debate new laws. Enforcement is left to the political-military office of the Lord Commander of Carinthia, a position selected for and confirmed by the council and Archbishop. Currently Adrien Frost, bastard scion of House Achaard, holds this seat.
The Four Noble Houses of Carinthia are:
1) Vaillant: One of the older houses of Carinthia, this house has historically produced some of the finest soldiers in the north. The men and women of House Vaillant staff the forts and man the walls that protect Heldenheim and the south, all beneath the leadership of Duke Gerard dul Vaillant.
2) Bellefeuille: The young House Bellefeuille has produced some of the finest craftsmen known to the kingdom's history, an important service when one's stone fortifications must hold fast against mortalkind's most ancient enemy.
3) Courtemanche: Secretive Courtemanche defines the gold standard for proud and insular; their wisdom and magic comes from esoteric practices kept under strict protection within their high towers.
4) Achaard: Formed from the bloodline of Louis-roi, Arch de Soleil himself, House Achaard is on a meteoric rise in recent years, due in no small part to the successes and leadership of the Archbishop.
More houses than just these exist in Carinthia, of course, but the four that hold the most prominence through powerful positions and influence are listed above.
Social mobility in Carinthia is largely determined by one's family. There are success tales of soldiers or priests who were able to bring themselves from the lowest rungs of Carinthian society, but emphasis is placed on sacrifice for the benefit of others when holding these positions; who would want to sit on a throne ravaged by dragonkind, after all?
Culture
Carinthia society is largely unknown by the rest of Halinor. Sure there are the stereotypes--martial, religious, and insular--but the proud elves of the snowy north are difficult to convince to share more. Those coming from Carinthia might be reluctant to share for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the concern that sharing too many details with strangers increases the opportunities for the heretics to understand and undermine their homeland. Those that flee Carinthia for other reasons (such as fleeing justice for crimes like theft, murder, or heresy) are not like to advertise their location or travels to the Inquisitors.
So those lucky enough to visit Carinthia and the capital of Heldenheim might be surprised that the famously proud and cold elves are not always so frigid or rigid. Church festivals and celebrations bring a warmth to the soul as much as the body, and while the folk heroes and religious gatherings emphasize the military (especially the Knighthood) and saints, this does not detract from the plethora of dances, of feasts, or of games and activities held here. The commonfolk of Carinthia are not a people of plenty, so when the opportunity for levity arises, they embrace it with gusto.
History
Historical Carinthia was founded during the Third Radiant Age, beginning as a splintering faction of the Navarresean See that existed and ruled from the center of Halinor. The fractured holy empire saw its most devout and militaristic people kept in common cause since the Second Stygian Age when Wodr threatened to consume the world in ice and rage. During the Fourth Stygian Age and the Whispers of the Demon Azathoros, Carinthia suffered less the divisive effects of chaos than any other nation thanks to the devotion to the Gray Lady. Their divorce from what would become Aqualonde was relatively minor and set up their imminent golden age.
The Fifth Stygian Age is sometimes blamed on the Arch de Soleil, Louis-roi. The great Archbishop's campaign against dragonkind and heresy alike saw Carinthian soldiers and paladins venturing all over the continent, slaying bandits and reinstating law and order for countless peoples. Outside the holy sanctuary of Carinthia, however, the Cataclysm twisted the results of this holy campaign and perverted its reception by the lawless folk benefitting most from holy law. Eventually this lead to revolts all over the continent and, most unfortunately, the assassination of Louis-roi. Historical revisionism has put the blame on the Arch de Soleil and, in the wake of being stretched thin by military engagements, Carinthia was forced to acknowledge and reduce its presence in the southern part of the continent.
Stretched thin and forced to repopulate, retrain, and rebuild, Carinthia has slipped into more insular policies ever since. No doubt the long memory of the elves bears some measure of displeasure that their charitable missions were so maligned, but such is the nature of Cataclysms. Stern Carinthia shrinks, left largely with forts and their capital of Heldenheim.
By the Steel of Spear and Book
Founding Date
The Third Radiant Age
Type
Geopolitical, Theocracy
Demonym
Carinthian
Location
Notable Members
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