Sealands of Avelorn

A string of large Islands that lie off the coast of Thulcat. Traditional ally and trading partner of Thulcat. The current Queen of Thulcat is the daughter of the Island’s ruler, Admiral of the Ocean Sea Ty-Lor the Fifth. Home to the greatest ocean fleet in the known world. The sudden death of the ruling Admiral has left Avelorn directionless in a time of great crisist.

Structure

The Sealands are an elective Monarchy. It's government structure is roughly based on the elective captancy's of pirate ships, in which the Captain and other officers are elected by a ship's crew. The elective monarch of the Sealands, known as the Admiral of the Ocean Sea, is elective from amoung the nobles and sea captains of the Sealands. In fact, Nobles and Captains are the same thing in the Sealands - all Lords are captains of ships and to hold the rank of Lord, someone must captain a ship. Higher ranks of nobility are generally reserved for those who cammand either large warships or fleets of ships. Dukes are admerals and Earls Commidors. There are several indiviguals and families that make their wealth ashore, through industries like shipbuilding or agriculture, but unless they also own at least one ocean-going vessal, they have no claim to nobility or polticial power.

Culture

The Sealands are a Pirate Republic that went legit. For centuries, the islands chain know as Avelorn has played host to communities of pirates, smugglers and refugees from other nations. For the last two hundred years, these various scoudrals and misfits have come together to form a surprisingly powerfull nation-state. While there are some fertile area inland that support farms and plantations, the vast majority of economic activity has always come from the sea, either through lawfull means (fishing and trade) and not-so-lawfull (piracy and smuggling)