Galacia
Only Galacians know the true nature of Knighthood, that being a caballero isn't some title that can be bestowed by a king to those in his favor. Knighthood is something that exists in the heart of every true caballero, and no-one can take that away from them
One of the great powers of The Great Inland Sea region Galacia controls nearly the entire northern coast of the regions eponymous seas as well as the entire southern and eastern shore of the only water route out of the region. The amount of valuable territory that they control is a testament to the many wars it has fought against it's neighbors, leaving it in a position of power but with few allies in the region.
History
Galacia's history is one filled with violent expansion and aggressive land grabs well past the time period when most of the nations of The Shattered Continent had settled their borders and turned their attention to trade and economic development. The legacy of this aggressive expansion can still be seen today, both in the territory controlled by Galacia as well as in their foreign relations.
Founding and consolidation
Galacia began as a collection of small kingdoms spread across the length of The Galacian Peninsula, each aspiring to one day conquer their neighbors and rule the entirety of the peninsula. The Kingdom of Valeria was located at the broadest point of The Galacian Peninsula, just to the west of the point where the Galacian and Lechian peninsulas are at their closest. Valeria's ruling family, the Monederos, had recently taken power after a long struggle from the rival Mendez family, and in 1104 as they finished consolidating power, they turned their eyes to the rest of the peninsula.
In a series of swift wars, the Monderos pushed west, conquering the minor kingdoms between their holdings and the region known as "The Throat", the narrowest point in the peninsula. When they reached The Throat in 1106 its ruling family, The Vivars, bent their knee to the Monderos and were allowed to retain their lands and granted the title of "Defenders of The Peninsula" and the responsibility of fortifying The Throat and preventing the 'western barbarians' from entering the peninsula. At this point, the Monderos began referring to their kingdom as "Galacia", publically proclaiming themselves as the rulers of the peninsula, much to the chagrin of the kingdoms to the east.
Having consolidated their hold on the eastern half of the peninsula, Galacia began pushing west. While some kingdoms fought them, most of their rulers bent their knees to the Monderos, becoming dukes under their rule and retaining their territories. In just three years, the eastern border of Galacia had reached the end of the peninsula and the dual fortresses of Notyers and Puntogarda, where the rulers of these mighty forts opened their gates and welcomed their new rulers in. The De Punto and Dueno families were granted the titles of "Guardians of the northern point" and "Guardians of the southern point", respectively and entrusted with preventing foreign powers from gaining control of the end of the peninsula and the important straits that it controls.
An Aggressive Legacy
The rule of the Monderos has been charactarized by aggression against their neighbors and repeated attempts to expand the borders of Galacia. Hardly any of their neighbors have been spared their aggression, and Galacia has been responsible for more border adjustments in the last five hundred years than any other nation, even though most of their campaigns havn't been terribly successful. From an attempt to gain control of the Strait Promiscum by capturing the tip of the Oenotrian peninsula to a campaign to take the northern end of the Lechian Peninsula, to an invasion of Dalphin poorly disguised as supporting the locals against invading Bommbergonians, all of their compaigns in the south and east have ended in failure.
In their campaigns to the east the Galacians have had more success, their border with Fruchtbarland changing repeatedly. Fruchtbarland and Galacia have a history which rivals that of Bommbergonia and Alboria, but with even more frequent flare ups. Where Fruchtbarland once held territory extending all the way to The Neck, that border has moved back and forth with alarming regularity since Galacia's first push west. At times, the Galacian border has pushed as far west as the bank of the Herzfleiben, and at least once they have been pushed all the way back to The Neck.
Today Galacia controls a strip of territory running all the way up the western shore of The Serpent's Tongue to Crater's Gate, and the coast of the Palsas Sea all the way south to the edge of The Western Wall and The Eastern Marches. The theocracy known as The Valorous Dominion formed on the wartorn border between the two nations, and the twin fortresses of Notyers and Puntogarda were taken by Bommbergonia in an opportunistic land grab during one of Galacia's many invasions of Fruchtbarland.
Culture
Galacia is a monarchy, with power being delegated from the ruler down to the nobility, but it isn't a feudal nation. The common man enjoys a relatively large amount of freedom and social mobility, without a rigid class system.
The Monderos
With their line unbroken since the founding of Galacia, the Mondero family have been the rulers of the peninsula for nearly nine hundred years. The King and Queen have absolute authority within the nation, and their line maintains direct rule of the ducado of Valeria, although direct control of the rest of the nation is delegated to the duques, and the lower nobility through them.
The Nobility
The ruling monarch may have absolute authority, but that authority is delegated down through the nobility, the priveliged individuals whose families have been recognised and granted titles by the crown.
Duques
The highest rank of nobility, Duques and Duquesas control the ducados, the largest territories that Galacia is divided up into.
Marquess
Technically ranked between duque and conde, a Marquess or Marquessa controls a region known as a marca, similar in size to a ducado, but on a contested border or frontier region.
Conde
Ducados and marcas are divided up into condados, ruled over by Condes or Condesas. Most regions arent divided up into pieces smaller than condados, so a conde is the lowest common rank of nobility granted direct control over these areas.
Vizconde
In condados which are particularly highly populated and densely built up, they may be further divided up into vizcondados, usually comprising a particularly large city and the settlements immediately around it. Rather than the entire condado being divided into vizcondados, the vizcondado is a region within the condado, with the conde maintaining direct control of the rest.
Baron
Due to the fact that marcas are contested border or frontier regions and therefore inherantly more dangerous and less stable than a ducado or condado, an additional level of landed nobility exists within them. Barons and Baronesas directly control cities and their surrounding settlements in a similar manner to governors in more stable lands, but with direct control over military forces and more autonomy where it comes to defense and maintaining law and order.
Don
Unlike the other ranks of nobility, a Don/Dona is not granted control over any area outside of their own family holdings, but is instead simply a heredary title granted to a family at some point in the past, typically for services to the crown.
The Common Man
Within Galacia, the common man enjoys a relatively large amount of freedom and social mobility, even having the ability to become a Don and enter the nobility if they are successful enough to gain the attention of a powerful patron.
Caballeros
In Galacia, knighthood is closely tied to a series of martial religious orders, typically dedicated to a particular god or religious figure. Caballero is not a title granted by the monarchy, although in times of war the king will often call upon the knightly orders to accompany the Galacian army to battle. Because they are members of religious orders, caballeros are far more likely than knights in other nations to be paladins and martially inclined clerics.
Caballeros are glorified in Galacian popular culture, as they are seen as honorable warriors and defenders of both the common man and whichever faith their order is devoted to. Tournaments consisting of games glorifying martial skills like Jousts, Melees, and archery competitions are held regularly, and devotees of the various knightly orders and flock to them along with knights errant and aspiring warriors of all sorts. These tournaments, in addition to a being a way the knightly orders to one-up each other, they are a way for unknown warriors to make a name for themselves and earn money.
The Valiant Companions
An order strongly associated with The Valorous Dominion and Siegmund, The Valiant Companions require their initiates to have an unshakable belief that for peace and prosperity to occur, law and order must be enforced strictly.
The Stalwart Defenders
Devotees of Sigune, The Defender, The Stalwart Defenders are dedicated to the ideal that the strong should defend the weak, and to the destruction of the undead wherever they are found.
The Order of the Scouring Sun
Dedicated to Iker, The Blazing Sun, caballeros who belong to this order believe that true power comes from the arcane and they require all of their members to have at least some arcane ability, or to be divine casters devoted to Iker or another god of magic.
Caballeros Andante
Because Caballero is not a title regulated by the state, any Galacian can call themselves one, although if they can't afford proper weapons, armor, and horse, they are unlikely to be taken terribly seriously. These 'Caballeros Andante', better known as Knights Errant in other nations, often roam the countryside looking for bandits to fight, monsters to slay, and offering their services to local lords.
Religion
The people of galacia tend to be deeply religious, but the lack of a god with galacian origins means that the religions that they follow are many and varied. The cults of a dozen different gods vie for worshippers, political influence, and power within Galacia. The worship of Iker, Sigune, and Siegmund are the most popular, but most of The Ascended are represented, along with a few of the older gods.
The Provinces
Galacia is broken up into a number of provinces, and these are divided between the ducados and the marcas. The ducados are the more developed provinces, nearly all on the peninsula itself, and the marcas are located on contested borders or on frontiers, which Galacia has plenty of.
The Ducados
Representing the oldest, wealthiest, and most developed of the provinces, the ducados are the economic and cultural heart of Galacia. Stretching from the tip of the peninsula to just past The Neck, the ducados are where the majority of the wealth, court intrigue, and political power are found.
Valeria
The seat of the ruling Mondero familiy since the founding of Galacia, Valeria lies at the broadest point on the peninsula, just across the strait from the tip of The Lechian Peninsula.
Gualle
Situated between Valeria and Cuellia, Gualle is a lightly forested region with broad plains, and is the only region of the peninsula which is suitable for the large scale raising of grazing livestock.
Cuellia
Also known as 'La Garganta' or 'The Throat', this region connects the Galacian Peninsula to the mainland, and is responsible for holding back multiple land invasions of the peninsula. The ruling family of The Throat, the Vivars, hold the title of "Defenders of The Peninsula", and have since Galacia's founding.
Mosquero
Sitting to the north and east of Valeria, just across the river from the Bommbergonian/Dalphinian border, The dense forests of Mosquero provide much of the timber used by the Galacian Navy, and their inspectors will regularly conduct surveys and mark suitable trees as owned by the state. Dalphinian's have been known to cross the river and deface these marked trees, either by interfering to ensure they don't grow straight or by spiking them to cause problems when they are processed.
Granalbo
Granalbo sits on the long, narrow region of the peninsula that stretches from Mosquero to Cotiva, a river valley with incredibly fertile soil. Granalbo produces more food than any other part of the peninsula, although in modern Galacia it is outproduced by the marcas. The ability of Granalbo to feed most of the population of the peninsula has in the past proven essiential when Fruchtbarland has pushed their western borders all the way back to The Throat.
Cotiva
Located at the eastern tip of The Galacian Peninsula, Cotiva was for most of it's history responsible for maintaining galacian control of both the Strait Promiscus and the end of the Bommbergonian Strait. The twin fortresses of Notyers and Puntogarda stood atop rocky cliffs with large artificial harbors and were generally regarded as impregnable due to their mighty naval defenses and the terrain around them making the fortresses unable to be invaded by land. Today, the Bommbergonians control both fortresses, taken by trickery, bribery, and subterfuge, and the fortresses stand as a lasting reminder to Cotiva's greatest shame.
The ruling Escalante family's reputation and influence in court never truly recovered from losing the fortresses, and today they have far less influence than their social position should bestow upon them. The Escalantes resent the blame which has been placed on them for the loss, believing that blame lies with the De Punto and Dueno families, the so called "Guardians" of the fortresses, and that they are blameless.
The Marcas
Comprised of contested borders and undeveloped frontier regions, the Marcas are lands where risk and opportunity go hand in hand. Located entirely to the west of The Galacian Peninsula, most of the Marcas are located on the border with Fruchrbarland, in regions which have changed hands many times over the last six hundred years.
Aledo
Running south along the eastern shore of The Serpent's Tongue from Crater's gate to Catagon, Aledo has surpassed Granalbo as the largest producer of foodstuffs in all of Galacia. Its fertile soil and strategic position controlling the western bank of The Serpent's Tongue resulted in it being the site of many bloody battles between Galacia and fruchtbarland, changing hands a number of times before The Valorous Dominion formed amidst the chaos and provided a buffer state between the two larger nations.
Catagon
The most developed of the Marcas, Catagon sits where the peninsula meets the mainland, and as such is the oldest of the marcas. Catagon is seen as the first line of defense of the peninsula, responsible for delaying or even stopping invaders before they reach the fortifications of The Throat. Catagon has been pushing to be elevated from marca to ducado for a number of years, but the noble families of the ducados have proven reluctant to give this recognition to a region outside of the peninsula.
Gualle
Running south along the ___ Bay from Catagon to the ___ river, Gualle has been a highly contested territory, changing hands more often than any other territory since the formation of the Valorous Dominion prevented Fruchtbarland from easily invading Aledo.
Binada
Sandwiched between The Western Wall and the southern tip of Fruchtbarland, this region is the poorest and least developed in Galacia. Regular incursions by the Galacian military are needed to keep incursions from The Western Marches down, and units are regularly rotated through Binada to acquire combat experience in times of peace.
Zaville
On the edge of the Palsas Sea, Zaville gives Galacia complete control over the ___ Bay and provides a buffer between The Eastern Marches and Galacia.
Foreign Relations
Galacia's expansionist tendencies and historical aggression towards every easily accessible nation in The Great Inland Sea has lead to it being somewhat of a pariah state, with nearly universal poor relations across the entire region.
Fruchtbarland
The only nation which shared a land border with Galacia until their expansion and the creation of The Valorous Dominion, Fruchtbarland and Galacia have a long and violent history. Their shared border has shifted back and forth by over a hundred miles at times, and until the last fifty or so years they have been at war as often as not. Today, with Galacia controlling all access to the Great Inland Sea, Fruchtbarland's ability to trade with the region has been completely crippled, with most of it going through Bommbergonia via the eastern strait, and their relations are as bad as they have ever been.
The Valorous Dominion
While the Valorous Dominion can hardly be said to be particularly friendly with any foreign nation, regarding them all as heathens, degenerates, and heretics of some sort, their relations with Galacia are somewhat warmer. Galacia has been friendly towards the pius nation since it's founding, seeing them as a literal shield against incursions by Fruchtbarland into the northern Galacian ducados.
The Republic of Lechia
Their botched attempt to take the northern end of the Lechian Peninsula aside, conflict between Galacia and Lechia has been limited, but competition over control of the Galacian/Lechian strait has still colored their relationship. Most lechian trade must pass through this important strait, and Galacian attempts to control it has resulted in tense naval standoffs and left Lechia feeling less than charitable towards their northern neighbor.
The Kingdom of Bommbergonia
Bommbergonia stands second only to Fruchtbarland when it comes to warring with Galacia, and as they have historically come out on top of these engagements, they have a typically smug attitude about it. Continued Bommbergonian possession and renaming of the fortresses of Notyers and Minenow has resulted in them being considered enemy number one among patriotic Galacians, even over their ancient enemies to the west.
Dalphin
Preventing Galacia from controlling the main bend in The Serpent's Tongue has left plenty of hard feelings towards Dalphin, and the tiny nation's enthusiastically belligerant attitude has only soured this relationship further.
The Oenotrian Republic
Several unsuccessful attempts by Galacia to take the northern tip of the Oenotrian Peninsula have left relations with Oenotria poor. Relations have only marginally warmed since that conflict, with many Galacians resenting the smaller nations attitude about that conflict, given that it was only the intervention of their Achaean allies which prevented a total victory by the Galacians.
The Achaean City States
Galacia's largest trading partner within the Great Inland Sea, the Achaeans are happy to work with their neighbors from across the Mare Promiscus. The past Galacian attempts to take the Oenotrian Peninsula seem to have been largely forgiven by the Achaeans, perhaps because they view the Galacians as no real threat given their inability to even control the entirety of their own peninsula.
The Alborian Empire
Happy to trade with anyone who hates the Bommbergonians as much as they do, Alboria enjoys an active relationship with both Galacia and Fruchtbarland, and are happy to act as a middleman between the two when it comes to both trade and diplomacy.
Alhamland
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