The Junction

The Junction is a nation of contradictions and scars, pox-marked by the various wars that it has waged over the centuries. Headed by Trokair, the god of law, and Zakon, the goddess of justice,, the inner regions of this nation are quiet and calm, while its borders tense and break under the permanent assault of their enemies. Civilization and camaraderie is important for the Joined, the inhabitants of the Junction - much like it was for their founding gods. Their capital is the metropolis of Strongvale.

Government

The Junction is directly led by Trokair and Zakon, the God-Kind and God-Queen of the country, respectively. This makes the country an absolute monarchy, with one caveat: the Twins have no defined heir. They are gods, after all; they are immortal, and do not expect that their country would survive should they themselves die.

Satrapies

The Junction is so large that the Twins have had to divide their country into six regions, called satrapies. Loyal Roglaws who have proven their might on the battlefield are given control over said regions. Though they still report to the Twins, they have some leeway in determining taxes, or raising military levies, for example. These provincial rulers are called Satraps.
The Junction is divided thus:

• The Northern Satrapy, encompassing everything north of Strongvale and its surrounding mountains and hills, except the Disjointed, which remain unled. Led by Satrap Harald Hammerlauncher.
• The Strongvale Satrapy, encompassing Strongvale and its surrounding lands. Led by Satrap Astrid Hillclimber, who reports directly to Trokair and Zakon for matters of state.
• The Dragon Satrapy, encompassing the Warning as well as the eastern river, called Uniter. Led by Satrap Sten Eaglecarver.
• The River Satrapy, encompassing the Shield and its branches. Led by Satrap Yrsa Godroar.
• The Green Satrapy, encompassing the border with Vengeance and the southern part of the Crossway, including Lake Victory. Led by Satrap Leif Runecarver.
• The Point Satrapy, including the northern edges of the Crossway. Before Free Domhan was founded, this satrapy included its territory, and it has fought to reclaim it ever since. Led by Hilda Mindbreaker.

Culture

The Junction has a very strong and very proud military tradition. All people are conscripted into the army once they hit twenty years of age, and are expected to serve in the army for at least ten years, though one can voluntarily choose to continue their service (and many do). If these ten years are interrupted in any way, perhaps because one died during service, they are expected to make up the difference in their next life.
Of all the people of Domhan, the Joined are perhaps the most in tune with their previous lives, and with the importance of country and nation. They tend to believe that Ako's departure was a mistake, and that the Twin's goal of upholding its ideals is noble. Of course, a nation composed only of warriors would eventually fail, and many of those whose bodies are unable to participate in war now serve as farmers, tax collectors, messengers, ambassadors, and so on. There are very few idle hands in the Junction, as the people pride themselves on their hard working lifestyles.
The Vast is fairly temperate, and most people make good use of that fact. In general, the more tattoos a Joined has, the fewer clothes they have. There's nothing that a Joined enjoys more than showing off their tattoos, scars, and other proofs of their might. Their armors are delicately-crafted masses of steel that cover their bodies entirely, however; the battlefield is not a good place to leave one's vitals exposed. Most Joined use purple in some form on their clothes or armor, to honor their gods.
The Joined are also very religious. Even at the frontlines, one can be expected to find two shrines: one for Trokair, and one for Zakon. The day-to-day life of a citizen of the Junction, provided they are not a soldier, is somewhat dry. They pray twice daily, once during the morning and once in the evening; in between those times, they work. Then, they often take the rest of the evening to partake in their hobbies, or mingle with their family and friends. Nonetheless, most Joined enjoy this simple life and are grateful to have the privilege to not have to live in fear of war coming to knock at their doorsteps, thanks to the brave soldiers and their Veikas.

Agriculture and Cuisine

Without Welmenni's technology nor the Children of Domhan's expertise, agriculture mostly relies on the great soil quality of the Vast, as well as the agricultural tradition of the Joined. While this makes them very reliant on the weather and on the seasons, it does allow for the greatest variety in goods out of all the nations. Fruits and vegetables are never lacking, and their animal husbandry is also superior; meaning that meat is equally plentiful.
Cuisine is often on the boring side in the Junction. People prefer hearty meals that fill their bellies, caring very little about their actual taste. This stems from their military tradition, and the fact that many people don't have the time to cook expansive and complicated meals.

Military Ranks

In the Junction, military ranks are defined by the amount of years that a person has spent fighting in the army. This is very distinct from their age, as experience from other incarnations is also accounted for. The more experience a soldier has, the more powerful they are, and the more responsibilities they have. The actual skills of a fighter, e.g. whether they are a martial combattant or a spellcaster, matters less than their experience in the army of the Joined. The ranks are named in the Unirese language.

• Unguk: Fighters with between 0 and 10 years of experience. The youngest amongst the army, who are often either in training or used as part of the vanguard (after the Troopers), so that they may grow stronger yet. They only have a few responsibilities, but are still considered better than most Troopers.
• Voks (plural Vokses): Fighters with between 11 and 30 years of experience. Soldiers with confirmed experience, whose responsibilities include directing the Troopers and making sure that an army is well supplied. Often, they lead small units into battle. They still don't actively participate in the creation of strategies and battle plans
• Oldun: Fighters with between 31 and 50 years of experience. Very powerful and knowledgeable soldiers, who actively participate in the elaboration of strategies and plans. They are often important enough to lead entire armies into battle.
• Forn: Fighters with more than 51 years of experience. These soldiers are so very rare that each and every one of them has a reputation that exceeds the army itself. If they are ever present in battle, that is only because they have had no other choice, as a Forn's knowledge is too precious to risk losing in a battle. Reincarnation is fast; but in war, sometimes, it's not fast enough.

For Troopers, this is slightly different. Troopers are often named for their purpose, and this is also the case in the Junction.

• Infantry: The rank and file of an army.
• Corporals: Leads units of foot troopers into battle.
• Messengers: Dispatched to make the will of Zakon manifest.
• Punishers: Dispatched only for the gravest of offenses, and meant to bring the target of their ire to Zakon or to bring punishment directly to them.
• Destroyers: Walking siege engines that are used to destroy fortifications in direct confrontations.
• Infiltrators: Usually flying or burrowing units who go behind lines to backstab entire units.

Biome

The Junction is a temperate region. A majority of it is composed of lush grasslands, full of rolling hills, or smaller temperate forests. Unfortunately, this land has suffered a lot, and some parts of it are more akin to wastelands on which nothing can grow. This is especially true in the north-western part and south-eastern part of the country.

Uniqueness

Northwest of the Junction is an area separated by the Guardians. That region is called the Disjointed by the Junction, and most avoid it like the plague.
East of the Dragon-Catchers are three ravines that have sundered the ground, leaving gashes hundreds of feet deep. These are known as the Warning.

Relation with other countries

As the largest nation on Domhan, the Junction has to be careful with their international relations. While they have no desire to gain more territory, a war on more fronts than they're already fighting could prove to be devastating indeed.
Free Domhan: The Domhan Reformation Army has been a thorn on their side ever since the war began. The Joined are used to conventional military tactics, while the Army fights using guerilla and sabotaging tactics that are unfamiliar to the regimented soldiers of the Junction. They've had to use a lot of resources just keeping the First War for Domhan's Liberation at a stalemate, which distracts them from the southern front against Vengeance. The Twins would love nothing more than to kill Aramach once and for all and dissolve the Reformation Army, but their tactics have been trounced at every turn thus far - to their frustration.
Welmenni: The Junction willfully ignores Rafinova's excesses in favor of their trade. Without the technology from Welmenni, the Junction would've likely lost both of their wars long ago. Many of the Joined do not look favorably towards the Welmennians and their lack of discipline, but only the most radical believe that the trade should be stopped. For now, many work to replicate the works of Rafinova, so that the Junction may become independent from them.
Holy Dragon Empire: The Junction knows what it would mean to provoke a war with the Empire, and they avoid it like the plague. They refuse to even consider an alliance with the more powerful dragons, even though they've received offers before. They would rather leave these "monsters" to their own devices, to avoid a situation like what happened with the Disjointed.
Vengeance: The Twins once believed that their relations with Rastlin were good. They were swiftly proven wrong when Rastlin began the Eastern Advance. To this day, the Twins aren't exactly sure what provoked Vengeance into declaring this war, but it could not have come at a worse time. Their ambassadors have not returned, and neither have their best peace diplomats; therefore, they are forced to fight against their former comrade, who have shown them no mercy. The Twins wish to talk it out with Rastlin before it escalates even further.
Gestrini: As a nation whose history has mostly been about war, the healers of Gestrini have proved invaluable. The Twins are particularly fond of offering holidays on Gestrini to particularly valorous soldiers, to make sure that they come back relaxed and ready to fight. Therefore, the two nations have always been on friendly terms, if only because of Meloch's influence. There is a small trade network between the two nations, mostly for goods like fish or rare woods.

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom