Altowood
The Kingdom of Altowood is a confederal state of eleven cities, descended from the original tribes of the Falco-Kiptrani, on the subcontinent Kiptravos. It is a feudal society governed mostly by tradition and cultural values that were set decades ago by the Kiptrani Codex . While they had a long history about violence and bloodshed, in the modern day the kingdom is regarded as a noble and honorable arbiter of morality.
Structure
The 'kingdom' of Altowood, an inaccurate name for their entire structure of government, is actually a loose collection of feudal city-states that grew out of the original Kiptrani tribes. Each one acts as a semi-independent entity headed by a royal family (which acts as executive branches with some quazi-legislative authority) and supported by a council of elected officials (acting as a legislative branch). The head of each city-state's executive branch is a Lord.
Lords run the executive affairs of their city, lead their militias into battle, and sit on the de-facto federal judicial branch that is the Council of Lords. They act to balance power with the Circle of Fellows, whose members hold titles of nobility and are elected by popular vote of their city state. The government is headed by a High Lord, currently High Lord Devakri, though the High Lord wields little actual power.
History
The origin of these states (as well as the entire Falco-Kiptrani race) comes from a rapid mass-exodus around the year 5209 BT. At the time, the Kiptravos subcontinent was connected to Alvana by a land bridge (it was also somewhat closer to the continent at the time). It is unclear why these thousands of individuals fled the mainland, though it may have been related to a natural disaster. However, only about 40 years later this connection was cut off by a massive regional earthquake that caused flooding and permanently submerging this landbridge. This cut the ancestors of the Altaran off from the rest of Avanima in a cold, mountainous environment with little farmland and large prey animals.
Over time, in this climate that was slowly moving into a deep ice age (which has since passed), the modern Falco Kiptrani emerged. At the time, the population was divided into three distinct sections, based on geographic region: the western Kiptrani, the Eastern Falco, and the Pekterak trapped in between them. This isolation between each other and the mainland Avani led to significant physical divergence. A centuries-long famine also led to some... unpleasant practices. Some members of the Falco and Kiptrani, having evolved to be significantly physically larger than many of their avani cousins, began to savagely hunt their neighbors and the Pekterak. This constant cannibalism and predation further accelerated their divergence from mainland avani, as well as almost driving the Pekterak to extinction. Most individuals lived in small tribes at the time.
As the subcontinent's inhabitants began to run out of fellow tribes and Pekterak to consume, a ship from the mainland (probably from far eastern Alvana) shipwrecked on the shore. Its crew was rapidly hunted down and a nearby tribe reverse-engineered the technology to allow them to reach the mainland. This occurred around 2400 BT. With these new vehicles, they were able to spread their cannibalistic tendencies and terrorize the entire region. Their terrifying reign over their physically-inferior neighbors continued for centuries.
However, while the Kiptra inhabitants maintained their savage traits, over time the nature of their predation changed. Traces of civilized thinking began to diffuse to them from the cities they attacked. When at first they had simply used their own talons and beaks, they learned how to forge weaponry and use it against their enemies. The tribes became more structured and less nomadic over time. Over time, as the famine on their continent came to an end, their predation became more like a sport then necessity. Eventually, they even began to rely less on attacks and more on the slave trade to obtain their prey.
About 300 years before the Cyanni War, at least from the perspective of the outside world, the falco-kiptrani abruptly vanished. Over the course of about two years, these states went from a state of constant attack to complete isolationism. Since these attacks had happened constantly for thousands of years, this was completely unprecedented. It happened so suddenly that many attributed the change to divine intervention. However, the real reason was much more mundane: cultural shift. Newer generations, many whom had worked alongside slave traders and witnessed the outside world, had begun to question whether their violent ways were justified. This was spurred by the growth of a new religious movement that emphasized different values, many of which ran directly counter to the savage rituals practiced by the subcontinent's inhabitants. Moreover, a flight from existing tribes had encouraged an independent and isolationist lifestyle (this lifestyle persists to this day).
During this period now called the civil reformation, the remaining altowood tribes shifted from their nomadic and tribal lifestyles to a more structured and civilized system. The first cities and governments emerged. Society organized itself into a feudal system characterized by manors where the landed elites ruled over, protected, and taxed the surrounding agrarian community. Unchecked cannibalism became much less acceptable and faded out of existence. Warfare became more organized and revolved around ritualistic traditions. Manors frequently hosted 'friendly' conflicts to test each other's strength and battlefield casualties were low. Over time, the independent states came to see themselves as a single country.
When the Cyanni War broke out, the Altowood states didn't take much interest. It was an outside conflict between those they considered 'inferior' cultures. They no longer considered themselves a superior race, but they did believe the outside world was inferior by refusing to obey the basic rules of decent warfare. However, their opinion shifted rapidly after they received rumors of the horrible actions by Tolagos. They feared that, if the Cyanni won their war, they might be discovered and attacked. So, almost overnight, they organized for war and revealed themselves during a battle for the Hindaros capital city.
Naturally, this sudden reversal of their isolationism shocked the rest of the world. As far as they were concerned, a mythical race that had according to legend savagely hunted them was on their side. The confusion wasn't necessarily helped by the fact that Altowood warriors, while clearly assisting the Cyanni's enemies, spoke a completely foreign language and rarely interacted with their 'allies'. Still, they almost single-handedly turned the tide of the war and came to be seen as heroes. After the war, they played a major role in arbitrating the peace treaty (ironically, doing a lot to defend the Cyanni from even harsher terms), and partially opened their borders to outsiders. In the modern day, they are known for their honor and valor. However, their country is still very mysterious and poorly documented to outsiders.
Demography and Population
The Altowood, with their fairly primitive economic system and simplistic lifestyles, have a spread out population dominated by the lower class. Most wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of a few hereditary elite, the descendants of successful military veterans and honored political figures. Altowood cultural norms place an emphasis on solitude and independence: outside of the wealthy estates and those who tend to them, most citizens live in isolated family communities or on their own. Even their cities pale in comparison to the metropolises sometimes found in other countries. Most have a population of only a few thousand and are so spread out some blend seamlessly into the countryside.
Due to its history, the population of the Altowood city-states is fairly homogeneous. Falco-Kiptrani (60%) make up a significant portion of those living here, followed by the native Pekterak (14%), cold-resistant Sialan (8%) and Apodine (12%). Paridus make up a small minority of 4%, with all other races equaling less than 2%.
Military
The military of the Altowood states is more of a loose collection of local militias than an actual national armed force, but this disorganization and lack of formal structure hasn't stopped their fame. Falco-Kiptrani, the dominant race on the subcontinent, is physically imposing and fierce. Their culture encourages the cultured warrior lifestyle and actively praises skilled fighters. Often, particularly among the upper class, individuals are expected to buy ornate yet effective weapons and train to use them. Since the society is very agrarian, much of the population also has frequent run-ins with Apogees. These factors have created a well-armed, disciplined population of seasoned fighters to draw from. Even nobles will jump at the opportunity to march into battle, eager to prove their honor and display their fealty to their community.
Foreign Relations
The Altowood states are unique among the Avani civilizations in that they are held in high regard almost universally (after the Cyanni War, this is almost unheard of). While they are very solitary as a people and rarely have formal diplomatic connections with the other kingdoms, the Falco-Kiptrani are respected for the rare times they have intervened in the affairs of others. They are even thought of positively by the Cyanni, for being the only country willing to assist them when others turn their backs, and Jasani, for not participating in the Jasani conflicts and encouraging a more level-headed response.
Kreetak Et Dallia (Justice and Mercy)
Maps
-
Kiptravos
Far in the northeast, beyond the most distant shores of Alvana and the Dragon's Scales, lies the minor continent of Kiptravos. This mysterious land, covered in tall mountains and vast forests, is mostly unfamiliar to all but the Falco-Kiptrani that live there.
Founding Date
14th of 7th Lunas, 106
Type
Geopolitical, Principality
Capital
Alternative Names
Alto-Kiptra, the Kiprawood States.
Demonym
Altaran
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Democracy, Parliamentary
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
The Lin, a base ten system
Legislative Body
The Circle of Fellows
Judicial Body
(de-facto) The Council of Lords
Location
Official Languages
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments