Feydom of Dire
Structure
The Feydom is ruled by the High Elven Council and the Order of Alfred. The former is the legislative body and the latter the national church.
The Order is commanded by Archdruids, who are appointed by Alfred himself following their ability to prove themselves in a series of tests. They are permitted in council meetings, but do not directly interfere with council proceedings, they are only allowed to have a say when expressly permitted by the High Councillor, whom they are allowed to ask for permission to speak at any time. They are, with the exception of treason, above the law. There are three current Archdruids:
Illvisar (Include surname and general info)
Roina Silverhand: The only female archdruid, Roina is a young elf viewed by the public as mother nature herself. She is respected, and popularly known as a mother figure. Behind closed doors, Roina is an accomplished and highly skilled archdruid, and whether or not she fits the public image of the caring mother, or her followers/ apprentices' image of a fierce, young and no-nonsense lady, is unknown. Since the split, Roina and many druids had gone missing after the Feydom territory was divided.
Lawrence Edgar: Known publicly as Fenrir Edgar; Fenir is the youngest of the three at just 17 human years old, and although not as famous as the other two, or highly regarded, is beginning to gain a following and become quite popular, particularly as he is the only human archdruid. This has lead to a level of disrespect for him by elements of society, but Illvisar is often quick to defend the boy "as a loyal and capable defender of Dire" in Council hearings should he come under racial attack from a minister.
Politically, the current council is made up of officials who are in charge of select regions of the nation. They manage their respective towns and villages, and answer to the council itself. They are elected by elven members of their regions, and they in turn elect the high elf of the council. Whilst there are no set political parties, there are several factions that ministers float in and out of based on the legislation being introduces. Normally, these factions disband immediately, but three more permanent factions have risen in recent years.
The first is the rather hated "Marche du Temps" (March of Time Movement), or better known as Les Industriels (The Industrialists). Lead by Kolvar Herfiel, they aggressively call for the 'liberalisation' of the Order, and to reduce its power. They wish to reform the Council into elected representatives, and allow non-Oder followers to run. They want the Council to be open for merchants, land owners and industrialists to "lead the nation forward". Many fear that Dire is lagging behind the world, as cannons and firearms replace heavy armour, spears and even to some extent, magic. They want the peasantry (mostly human) to be "liberated" from their collective lands and be open to work on their own private farms, in mines, logging camps and weapons factories, as well as work in scientific institutions, ship building, education, enterprise and even politics.
Their aggressive anti-Order stance and pro-industrial movement is at odds, their opposition argues, with "everything the Feydom stands for."
Their primary opposition are the Harmonists (Harmonistes). Their name is derived from the Dayern axiom, and they call for continued anti-industrial policies, and even increase the political power of druids. However, they also call for the "Freedom of all sons and daughters of Alfred" and wish to allow and empower human peasants to purchase their own land and farm it to boost the economy. They want these initiatives to be church lead and give basic druidic powers to leading farmers. Their hope is that this will encourage loyalty to the Order and allow those without private land to work on someone else's land for money. They want local elected officials much like The Industrialists, and they want all men, elf or human, to be able to run or vote for these positions. They are lead officially by Filverel Presvyre, but they rally mostly around Illvisar.
The third faction is where the majority of ministers, including the High Councillor sit. They are known as The Majorité, and are simply moderates. They feel industrialisation is inevitable, but should be executed with caution. There are heavily differing beliefs, from transitioning to a democracy, to establishing a separate Druidic council to manage industrialisation, to some who wish to restrict the rights of druids and industrialists to help stability.
Notably, Admiral Agis Valden is firmly on the side of the Harmonistes, despite his calls for naval modernisation. He see's Dire's allies as current sources of new technology and economic betterment, and sees no reason to reform or industrialise beyond freeing human peasants from their local Parishes.
Most villages and towns are communally run from their local temples, with everything announced through the Temple assemblies, which include all members of the Parish. Anyone is open to join the Druids or Paladins, and either can take on the roles of preachers and teachers. The Order has its own say in the affairs of its local Parishes, but on matters of national importance and Council decree, must obey the orders of Local council representatives.
The Council for Domestic Commerce manages and represents national businesses such as shops and inns, as well as manages the nations resources. These resources must be distributed to everyone region's requirements, and any excess is then handed over the Council for International Commerce which then hands it over to the Dayern Trading Company and other private merchants.Public Agenda
The Feydom's agenda is to follow the whims of the Archfey Alfred, and remain in balance and in harmony with nature, no matter the cost.
Demography and Population
The Feydom was originally an exclusively Elvish nation, but it was not long before many humans, seeking a better life, came under the protection of the nation.
After the split, Dire was torn apart, and exists as follows:
The Capital city of Thyatalos is populated mostly by elves, and other major towns and cities are too populated by them. In the countryside, humans are the most common, though as usual, they spring up everywhere. Elves can also be found in positions of authority in small towns and villages.
Elves typically live hundreds of years, compared with humans who only live a century if lucky. This had lead to a clear narrative of racial superiority among the elves.
Humans are excluded from government positions and participating in elections of any kind. Instead, they can be found working the farms, logging camps, and other industries, along with making up the bulk of the fighting force and sailors. They are kept in check by The Order of Alfred, and many become druids for the benefits it offers socially as well as gaining that closer relationship to nature. They mostly live in set communities in villages and farming communities centred around the respective industries and regions. Life can be tough, but homes can be simple huts to underground hovels, to tree houses above ground level. Almost all clothing worn by humans contains some fur, and all furniture is simple and wooden, often crafted by an expert in the village to high quality. Beds can vary from furs crafted into sack-like objects to full beds with feather matrices and quality fur blankets. Due to the collective ownership of either the farms or trees human 'peasants' can be working on, most people of a village do not pay for such items, and most humans live in warmth and relative comfort when compared with the peasantry of other nations. All goods are managed at a national level, and so every village gets what they need. For example, a logging 'tree-house' village may be lacking food, and a farming town lacking logs for the winter fires. So, the Council for Domestic Commerce organises road trains to exchange such goods. This allows for both local communities to develop within their villages and particular Order Parishes, as well as a sense of national unity and dependency.
Whilst this perhaps sounds quite unpleasant or un-free, humans are completely free to move anywhere and set up their own businesses, or buy land. It is simply that many lack the ability to do so financially or just want the security and comfort of the Order Parishes. With many committed to the preservation of the natural world, most find harmony with their surroundings. Education in the arts, crafts and of the world around them is provided by the Order, which includes the natural sciences with the Order's own interpretation. Further schools are open in Thyatalos for those who can afford it. (See education). Furthermore, the Elves do not view humans as expendable or invalid as creatures, rather as a key part to the nation and to nature. The elves see themselves as guardians and guides to their human citizens, as Alfred and the Fey were once to them. This perhaps explains the comfortable living most Dayern citizens experience. The humans respect the Elves and the strange relationship of dependency and obedience is rarely resented, unless something goes wrong (such as a famine).
In recent years, as Cresteria moves forward as a whole, there have been increasing calls to improve the social standing of humans. When there is talk of "freeing" or "liberating" humans and peasants, it is more in reference to providing local Councillors and people the spending power and financial ability to move out or further themselves. Many wish to alleviate the pressure on the Order to provide education, defense and medicine. Many hope to establish separate Schools and hospitals, and the Order itself is keen to play a part. Nythrim is an example where all this has been tested successfully, and many more towns and even small villages hope to be expanded in such ways. But Nythrim was a port, and had its own economy to fund its development. With the national economy stagnating and population growth low, primarily due to the ongoing wars and lack of focus on domestic policy, the calls for industrialization to wake up the country grow ever louder.
The majority of people however are loyal to the Order and the ways of nature; to the traditions of Dire.
Territories
The Isle of Dire is the main island of the Feydom, but the nation pre-split was far, far larger. Its territory used to be guarded somewhat by enormous packs of Dire Wolves, but now only one pack remains in the Great Forest.
More recently, Dire occupied and assimilated a pre-split territory; the Island of Henathyr (See Occupation of Henathyr) which was discovered by a Dayern merchant ship, before the island came under attack from the Confederacy. Dire defended the island, and then used its forces to occupy the land peacefully, and the territory underwent full assimilation.
Other than a few small islands and rocks in the national waters of Dire, there are just two main islands of the once vast Feydom.
Military
The Paladins of Alfred
The Dayern Volunteer Militia
The Elven Guard
The High Seas Navy of Dire
Religion
The Order of Alfred is an incredibly complex organisation within the Feydom. Covered in a separate article are the exact details, but for Dire, the Order manages a lot.
From every single druid to the vast army of Paladins, the Order is of great importance to the very existence of Dire.
Each town or village has its own temple which is managed by the local Druid or Paladin, or perhaps a mix in large towns. Often, this local druid will be of low level magic, and have a number of followers who use their abilities and atonement with nature to help with the growth and development of their Parish. They provide education for children, hospitals for the sick, places of comfort and worship and of communal gathering. The temples are often large structures built into a tree that grows in the centerof the village. Druids may often be found with animal companions which denote their roles, and the temple will often have statues or a statue of Alfred or the local Archdruid. Although there are only three, each region traditionally follows one Archdruid's teachings. In reality, it denotes an region of Parishes that are organised and managed by the chosen Archdruid. Currently, (insert name) runs every Parish, as Silverhand is missing, and Fenrir has only just come to prominence. Several Parishes have erected statues of the boy and begun teaching stories of him, though in all practicality Fenrir is not their governor yet.
Key beliefs include:
All nature is in balance, and it must remain so.
Nature is a harmony governed by laws we must seek to understand and accept, not change or break.
Alfred is the father, and his words are guidance.
If nature is to be interfered with, it must be done so with due care and it must be returned to balance.
Foreign Relations
The Feydom relies heavily on foreign trade for its economy and technology. Restrictions on its industries imposed by its unbreakable belief that nature must be protected at all costs means that in order to get certain items (from weapons to luxury commodities) all must be imported.
Luckily, Dire has no problem with extensive deforestation of designated areas. The entire island is almost entirely woodland, and with druids able to regrow thousands of trees in a matter of months, heavily monitored deforestation has lead to a vast and excellently crafted merchant navy.
Likewise, Dire's ship building capacity has been put to good use, with ships build for both the Republic of Cresteria and the Isle of Edel, which allowed the nation to enter the Grand Maritime Alliance. Other nations have purchased Dayern merchantmen vessels, and some have even been permitted to buy small warships for high prices.
Dire takes its international obligations seriously, but it also places heavy pressure to even its allies when it comes to matters regarding the Feywild and nature. This has caused strain in the past, and pre-split, Dire was diplomatically isolated.
In this new world however, Dire is one of the most diplomatically active nations, under constant threat from Confederacy attack and seeking business opportunities everywhere, the Dayern Council of Foreign affairs is a vast entity in its government.
Trade & Transport
As metals are not to be harvested or used by Druids, and are generally frowned upon in society, specially carved 'coins' are made with engravings that distinguish their value. often, this will be of a certain type or size of tree on one side, and a public figure (such as an Archdruid or former High Councillor) on the other side. This leads to problems on the international market. Merchants and sailors therefore, use a unique coin, marked by a ship on one side, and the approximate value in international currency on the other.
This requires recognition of the currency value from trading companies and nations. For example, the international currency (Pièce de commerce international) is recognised in the Republic of Cresteria, so sailors and merchants can use it whilst in their territory. Likewise, merchants from the Republic can sell goods in Dire, and then exchange the wooden coins for gold pieces at a bank.
As a side note, the strange currency sparked the first international banking system, which is managed in Doriath, and current members include the Feydom of Dire, the Republic, Edel and the UHSD.
Many nobles of other nations collect Dayern coins for their beauty and craftsmanship, rather than actual use as currency. The conventional currency of Dire can only be used in Feydom territory, but can be easily exchanged for international coinage if needed.
Harmonia vera est in natura
Maps
-
Island of Dire
The Capitol island of the Feydom of Dire
Founding Date
2 PR
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Alternative Names
The Isle of Dire
Demonym
Dayern
Government System
Electocracy
Economic System
Command/Planned economy
Currency
The Dayern currency is unique in that it is not regular coinage. Known as the Dae, it is made of wood.
Legislative Body
The High Elvish Council
Judicial Body
The High Elvish Court
The Order of Alfred
Executive Body
The Order of Alfred
The Dayern Port Authority
The various militias
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Deities
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
Comments