Country of Daratan

Overview

The Country of Daratan was once part of the Dragonborn Empire (Sandoria). With the collapse of the empire several thousand years ago, Daratan became a sovereign state. However, it still considers itself a member of the empire, and follows all of its former laws and policies.

The land has been settled for all of known history, though it has changed ownership multiple times. This can be seen in the architecture of its buildings, which range in styles from the old to the ancient, and in the scattered ruins which dot the countryside.

Features

Daratan is a small country (roughly 45 miles wide) covered in forest, bounded on the north and west by mountains, on the east by an enormous inland sea, and on the south by desert. Its primary exports are timber and grain.

Daratan's population is primarily human, but contains a decent number of all civilized races - with the exception of Elves, Dwarves, and Centaurs, who find the forest exceptionally disturbing.

It is unusual in that it is not linked to the mirror planes of the Feywild or the Shadowfell, so the forests are safe to travel and there is no danger of the dead spontaneously rising. In the previous Age of War, it was not linked to the mirror plane of the Bladestorm, making it one of the few safe locations that was not behind walls, in the mountains, or perched on a chunk of floating earth. Scholars speculate that the country has never been linked to any of the mirror planes, and occasionally can be found wandering the woods trying to discover why.

Fey creatures, or creatures with Fey ancestry, are profoundly uncomfortable in Daratan's forests. They report a sense of something hostile watching them, growing steadily worse the longer they stay. Due to this, Elves and similar creatures refuse to stay more than a few days in Daratan.

This sense of being watched by something hostile affects all extra-planar creatures, including those from the mirror planes (Feywild/Shadowfell), Elemental Planes, and the Astral Sea. The further back in their ancestry the extra-planarness is, the less intense the feeling is. Half-elves and Tieflings can occasionally be found in Daratan, though they tend to keep a nervous eye on the trees.

Plants in Daratan experience an unnatural amount of vitality and growth, as well as decay, quickly sprouting and growing to maturity before just as quickly dying and rotting away. The farmers are able to complete multiple harvests in a season due to this, allowing them to feed the country and export large amounts of grain on minimal land.

This feature started with the current Age, and is speculated to be related somehow to the Feywild and Shadowfell. Again this leads to scholars wandering the countryside and being chased out of fields by irate farmers with pitchforks. Seeds cannot be kept in the country for long before sprouting, so harvested crops are quickly converted into food and ale, or exported. The international market is a bit leery of Daratan's grain due to how it was produced, but buys it anyway because it's cheap.

Trees are also affected, growing to massive sizes before dying and rotting away. Despite exporting quality timber for the past few thousand years, the forests of Daratan have not been appreciably reduced. Wood from Daratan is well suited for protective enchantments and is in high demand among wizards and shipwrights.

Layout

The City of Daratan is the capital, located on the western edge of the country by the foot of the mountains. It is built over the Zekia river, which emerges from the mountains and flows east to the sea. It has a well constructed sewer system from a previous age that the current inhabitants keep in good repair.

A common pastime for the children of the city is to gather into gangs, venture into the sewers, and fight the giant rats that live down there.

Castle Daratan is the seat of government, built into the mountainside above the City. The castle is ancient and has been expanded upon and renovated in multiple different ages, resulting in a confusing layout and constant rumors of secret chambers and basements that are yet undiscovered.

A scattering of small farm towns surrounds the capital city, cutting farmland out of the forest.

Halfen Port is the country's only other city, located on the eastern edge of the country. While it technically cedes authority to the government of Daratan, it privately considers itself an equal power. Halfen Port is home to merchants and sailors, and is Daratan's link to the rest of the world.

Zekia Road is the main road, built in a previous age, and parallels the Zekia river from Daratan City in the west to Halfen Port in the east. It is constantly traveled by merchants moving between the cities. Halkia Inn is located along this road, at the halfway point between the two cities and a day's travel from each.

Dykuma Post is on the country's southern border, and exists to trade with the elven nomads who wander the desert.

Government

Daratan is governed by a King or Queen, who is appointed by the Dragonborn Emperor. In absence of such an emperor, each King or Queen appoints their own successor from one of their children (adopted or born).

The government recognizes four classes of citizen. Subject, Citizen, Nobility, and Royalty. All of these classes are largely non-hereditary. (This one of the few changes from the Dragonborn Empire, where all Dragonborn were automatically Nobility and could not be demoted.)

All people in Daratan, regardless of class, have access to a free basic education. This education covers the basics of citizenship, reading/writing, history, mathematics, philosophy, art/music, athletics, and the Draconic language.

Subject is the default state for people in Daratan. With some exceptions, everyone is born as a Subject. They do not pay taxes, but are not allowed to vote, cannot form companies (but can be employed by them), or own non-portable property or weapons. In times of emergency they can be conscripted for militias. They can apply for Citizenship, and if they succeed they become Citizens. Foreigners generally get lumped in with Subjects.

Citizens pay taxes and must vote. In the event an official militia is formed they're required to join. They're allowed to own property (but not land) and can form companies with their own set of legal protections and rights. They're not allowed to form militias or other armed companies on their own, and are required to own a weapon and armor and keep them in good repair. Most people in Daratan are Citizens.

Nobles are appointed by the Crown. They get a title, do not pay taxes, and are granted ownership of land. They're allowed to form militias and in fact are required to maintain enough equipment to outfit said militia, as well as making sure Citizens in their area practice regularly. In Daratan, they're typically assigned governance of an area. For example, the Govenor of Halfen Port is a noble appointed by the Crown (after a majority vote from the city), who has full ownership of the city and its surroundings. He's typically addressed as 'Lord Halfen'.

Nobles can retire, and typically remain Nobility for the rest of their life. Their title and status is not hereditary, but their children are automatically Citizens. Their grandchildren are Subjects as usual.

The Crown - consisting of the current King or Queen - owns all of the land in Daratan. They and their immediate family are Royal. Their children are automatically Nobility, their grandchildren Citizens, and great-grandchildren are Subjects as usual. People can be adopted into or marry into the Royal family.

The Crown can promote and demote the other classes of citizen at will.

Citizenship

Citizenship is not automatically granted, but must be applied for. People who have spent over 50% of their life in Daratan (usually children who have grown up in the country) can go through an abbreviated Citizenship process. Additionally, the Crown can make someone an honorary Citizen, allowing them to skip the entire process. They tend to do this to people who bring exceptional value to the country.

Foreigners who want to become Citizens must go through the full process.

Citizenship Process

Abbreviated

• Have a Citizen sponsor - generally the person's parents, but it can be anyone, or a group of citizens. The sponsor is responsible for the applicant during the entire application process.
• Provide 1 year of public service - this is volunteer work. There's an entire department dedicated to matching up volunteers with people/organizations who need help.
• Demonstrate proficiency with one weapon. The Crown provides free weapon training during the year of public service.
• Demonstrate the ability to read and write in Draconic.

Full

• Have at least 5 Citizen sponsors.
• Provide 3 years of public service.
• Demonstrate proficiency with one weapon (no free training).
• Demonstrate the ability to read and write in Draconic.

Type

Region