Sordicci

Sordicci is a proud, prosperous republic located on the northern edge of the Regent Sea known both for its vibrant culture and dominant industrial economy. While it has not played as pivotal a role as Marcineaux, the republic has been an important force throughout the history of the continent. Its capital is the city of Trevisi, which lies upon the Borein River.

Structure

The republic is headed by the Presidente della Repubblica, who is elected directly by the population of the republic, who can serve three five-year terms before retiring to avoid “eternal presidents” or the century-long rule of Marcineaux elves. The current President, Gioacchino Clementi, is a 52 year old Inland Sordiccian human and former law professor from the southern coast of the republic.
The President is advised by both their cabinet, the Prime Minster, and the Consiglio dei Governatori (Council of Governors) – a group of nine made up of representatives from all the states of the republic plus two representatives from the Regent Sea colonies designed to ensure that the President properly cares for the entire country. The President must also answer to the Senate of the People of the Republics (Sordicci’s upper house) and Deputies of the Peoples of the Republics (Sordicci’s lower house).

The Borein River

A surprisingly deep freshwater river that flows through Edeoxes before emptying into the edge of the Regent Sea near Trevisi. Sordicci, Hóćaska, Marcineaux, and Zentbreit all use the river for economic purposes and a fair chunk of the Sordiccian fleet (the MMdR) can be found at berth in it due to its depth. The Borein has been used to ship goods for centuries, but has more recently been used to power waterwheel factories and ship various ores to the many riverine ports along its banks. The river is much less militarized than the Grinreave, due to the noninvolvement of Sordicci in the Steel War.

Viada

A major Sordiccian port on the coast of the Regent Sea nestled within the Regent Bay. Viada is the largest port in Sordicci other than Trevisi and serves as the center for Sordicci’s operations in the Regent Sea.

Porta Predari

A major Sordiccian naval base within the heavily-defended Bay of Generoso that serves as the primary base for the Sordiccian fleet. Once bitterly in the shadow of Falkeswin, the MMdR now seeks to assert its dominance across Ejilan from bases like Porta Predari.

Federici Copper Mine

One of the largest mines in the known world, the Federici Copper Mine provided most of the copper used in Sordicci’s recent national electrification effort and now exports copper across the known world.

Bertalan Iron Mine

A huge iron mine in eastern Hóćaska that is said to go deeper underground than any other mine. Rumors that Hóćaskian mining companies have broken into the Underdark within Bertalan are stated to be “baseless and ludicrous.”

Public Agenda

Due the northern location of its participants and the election victories of the reformist and leftist Partito Popolare (People’s Party) in 287ME Sordicci avoided direct participation in the Steel War. Their manufacturing economy has allowed them to become a dominant economic force after the Steel War laid waste to the northern half of the continent, and their traditionally good relations with the rest of the continent (aside from Falkeswin) combined with the losses of the Steel War have left nobody in a position to challenge them. Sordicci imports a great amount of its raw ore from Hóćaska and exports manufactured goods and food across the west and near east.
Despite their peaceful reputation, Sordicci, like Taegwo, is deeply invested in the Regent Sea and has been long suspected of funding the pirates that run rampant in the region by Falkeswin and Mahmoun (the former of which it views as a bygone relic obsessed with its glorious past, the latter it views as far beneath itself). While it is true that Regent Sea pirates never attack Sordiccian ships or outposts in the Regent Sea, the Sordiccian Navy has repeatedly stated that reports of ship sales to pirates are “[…] almost as absurd as Falkeswin’s attempt to cross the Brumefringe. The pirates simply understand that our vessels and outposts are too tough to crack. Perhaps my counterparts in Falkeswin simply should have modernized their navy sooner,” – Fleet Admiral Caterina Muratori, 312ME.

Assets

The greatest asset of Sordicci is perhaps its most boring one: Sordicci possesses extremely well-developed infrastructure and powerful industrial economy focused on the civilian sector. When the Partito Popolare was elected they promised to revolutionize Sordicci to bring it into the modern era using the campaign slogan “Electricity in every house, paved roads for every village.” Unlike many parties with lofty slogans, the P.P. delivered. Sordicci possessed more rail lines, paved roads, electrical stations, and telegraph lines per square mile than any other country on the continent. A village that would be a cluster of sad wooden shacks surrounded by unproductive farms with a rut-filled dirt road running through it anywhere else is instead an organized cluster of brick and mortar buildings with (mostly) paved roads with a power station, a rail line, and a ready supply of tractors. Of course this comes at a bit of a cost. The land army of Sordicci (the Esercito della Repubblica (EdR)), while well-equipped, is small compared to its neighbors and designed to fight defensively alongside the Civil Guard (Guardia Nazionale) - a reserve army consisting of regular citizens with military training that is looked down upon as a “mob of peasants and laborers” by some aristocrats across the continent. The EdR uses far less magic compared to its continental and eastern counterparts, instead relying on its advanced infantry armaments (for example, the Modello 311 infantry rifle is stated to have a rate of fire twice that of the second-fastest rifle due to its straight-pull bolt and stripper clip magazine and the EdR has begun experiments with lightening machine guns for more general use) and reserve of armored vehicles. As a concluding note the EdR uses a large amount of armored trains due to the large amount of rail lines present in the republic. The EdR has not seen combat action in Sordicci proper for well over a hundred years (a fact Sordiccians love to brag about), but it is involve in defense and pacification operations in the Regent Sea alongside the navy. The navy of Sordicci (Marina Militare della Repubblica) is the most modern high seas fleet in the known world. The MMdR’s (separate from the MdR, Sordicci’s merchant marine) doctrine is to ensure that it has the most cutting-edge vessels regardless of costs. This belief has keep the MMdR somewhat smaller than Falkewin’s (but much larger than the fleet of Marcineaux) but has established it as a force to be reckoned with, particularly when backed up by its distant friend, Taegwo. The Sordiccian navy has also been suspected of constructing and selling lesser-quality ships (sometimes designed to look foreign) to the pirates of the Regent Sea to force out its competition and ally themselves with the pirates, but the navy vehemently denies this.
The MMdR has recently been experimenting with improved submarines, but only time will tell if this is a massive waste of money or the newest naval breakthrough. As a final note, the Sordiccian merchant marine (MdR) utilizes steam and oil powered vessels rather than the traditional wood and sail ships due to the ease of placing refueling stations in the islands of the Regent Sea. Longer range Sordiccian merchant vessels follow the same power scheme but sacrifice some of their cargo capacity in order to carry more coal.

History

The Republic of Sordicci has a history that dates back to the era of the Last Cataclysm. What would eventually become Sordicci was then the Consiglio delle Repubbliche (Council of the Republics) – a loosely aligned alliance of maritime republics trying to survive in the hostile world of the Last Cataclysm. With arquebus, carrack, and pike these republics held against demonkind, beast, and foreigners alike. By 43ME the modern borders of Sordicci, marked by the Borein River, had been claimed. The then-head of the Consiglio, a half-elf merchant named Marsilia Trevisan, declared that, as the people of Sordicci had fought for their right to exist and their freedom, their new country would be by Sordiccians, and for Sordiccians. The various republics of the Consiglio became provinces of the republic, and Trevisan became the first President of the Republic in a landslide vote. Tevisan is regarded as the creator of modern Sordicci and implemented many rules that remain to this day, such as the three term limit for the President and the direct election of the President.
The Republic of Sordicci has remained almost entirely uninvolved in the exploration of the Brumfringe, instead opting to focus on the exploitation of the Regent Sea. While infested with pirates and dangerous wildlife, the chaotic islands of the Regent Sea are abundant with resources needed for a modern industrial economy such as coal, ore, and oil, along with more frivolous luxury goods such as pearls and exotic wildlife. Most assets are controlled by the Sordiccian Regent Company, an “independent” organization that essentially functions as a branch of the considerable Sordiccian navy.
Sordicci was the first of the nations of the west to industrialize, a feat it attributes to its democratic spirit and multitude of cultures working towards the same goal. Of course this also led to it becoming the birthplace of labor unions and leftist parties such as the Partito Popolare (which rapidly gained power after its establishment in 268ME and has been the dominant political party since 287ME).
The Republic managed to avoid direct involvement in the Steel War and the Wars of the Eastern League, though its support for Falkeswin’s opponents in the Wars of the Eastern League remains something of an open secret in the west and war between the two was barely averted by Marcineaux, which has enjoyed good relations with both nations. The close call of industrialize war with Falkeswin, decrepit as it may appear to Sordiccians, was enough to sweep the P.P. under the charismatic Umberto Turano into power in 287ME, with Turano becoming president. Turano is regarded as a national hero along the lines of Trevisan due to his ability to modernize the country and keep the country out of the devastating Steel War in his third term in office. He retired to a humble home in Trevisi in 302ME, having brought Sordicci into a golden age of prosperity.

Demography and Population

Sordiccians are intensely proud of their democracy, rich cultural history, and multicultural population and their society reflects this pride. Races of all kinds can be found in the great trading ports of the Sordiccian coast and Regent Sea and further inland communities are often mixes of several different races. Sordiccians themselves are divided into two main ethnicities: Coastal Sordiccians (who make up most of the country and migrated across the Regent Sea from Taegwo centuries ago) and Inland Sordiccians (the minority “native” ethnicity who, despite the name, can be found throughout the country). Perhaps due to its border with Marcineaux, half-elves and elves have had a long history in Sordicci (though they have not reached the dominant stance of Marcineaux’s Malvir), and the founder of the Republic was a half-elf. Sordicci is known as one of the few places where Tieflings can “make it” in western Edeoxes, though they are relatively rare. While Sordicci considers itself open Firbolg are not welcome in Sordicci due to its heavy focus on industry and the current government’s policy of transforming the land through massive infrastructure projects (see below).
Due to the riches brought into Sordicci by trade and industry, the country has a long history of producing impressive cultural works. From the grand opera house of Trevisi to the concerts performed throughout the known world, the cultural history of Sordicci is readily apparent.

Territories

Sordicci, some islands of the Regent Sea

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Demonym

Sordiccian

Legislative Body

Bicameral:
Upper House: Senato del Popolo delle Repubbliche (Senate of the People of the Republics)
Lower House: Deputati dei Popoli delle Repubbliche (Deputies of the Peoples of the Republics)

Judicial Body

Tribunali della Repubblica (Courts of the Republic)

Neighboring Nations

• The Kingdom of Marcineaux