The People's Republic of Ter Eira
Ter Eira is the northernmost country of Illiria, the name of both the nation and the massive island it inhabits. It is the home of the Gwelin people, and the loudest opponent to Imperial dominance on the diplomatic stage. It is made up of a singular giant island (also called Ter Eira) that is covered in massive coniferous trees and near constant snowfall, plus a few outlying islands that are generally less hostile. The Republic maintains colonies on some of the Singing Islands (under the guise of protecting them from the Empire), and own the entirety of Yanu-Yanu. While the imperial holdings of the Republic have declined over the last several decades, they remain one of the five great powers of the continent. Roughly half of it's citizens live in permanent settlements while the other half travel around the island in nomadic groups.
Structure
The Snow Queen rules over Ter Eira completely, and she chooses her heir from among the common folk. She is aided by her Swyddisars, advisors and officials with great knowledge of the island nation and the world beyond. Throughout Ter Eira, local leaders are chosen by popular election when the last one dies.
Culture
The Gwelin put the state before all else, national pride is the source of all artwork, festivals, and music.
Public Agenda
To be ready for an inevitable war with the Empire.
Assets
Ter Eira is abundantly rich with furs and metal ores, which they happily trade for enormous shipments of food and supplies. Gwelin lumber is generally of good quality, but this is almost never traded unless some vital resource is lacking. The coast is dotted with small fortresses designed to house the citizens of a region in times of war.
Demography and Population
The entirety of Ter Eira is Gwelin, with very very few exceptions. There are a small population of Singing Islanders and Kwai that moved to the island following the Gwelin conquest of those areas. Roughly half of the population live in permanent settlements while the other half are nomadic.
Territories
While the government of Ter Eira claims the entirety of the Singing Islands, in actuality they only truly hold Yanu-Yanu Island, which is a contested part of the island chain to begin with. Ter Eira extracts food resources from the local Lilai and occassionally press them into military service. The Lilai do not attempt to fight back, though they officially consider the Gwelin guests rather than conquerors (with the actuality being that many a Gwelin officer finds himself poisoned). Until recently, Totem Island was also part of the Gwelin territories until the Empire took it in the Totem War.
Military
The bulk of Gwelin military forces are infantry spearmen. The collective army is called Milwyr Gwyn, the White Army. One child from each Gwelin family is sent for service when they reach the age of twelve, at which point they are tested for aptitude and sent to a subdivision from there. Aside from a dedicated standing army (one of the largest on the continent), the Gwelin maintain "Peoples' Armories" throughout the country, each settlement has a storehouse of spears and shields and supplies from which the Militia draws weapons in the event of invasion. On the rare occasions the Empire has reached the Gwelin mainland, few if any citizens flee rather than join the militia, and those that don't often cause trouble in conquered territories.
Ter Eira invests heavily in arcanochemical technology in addition to traditional magicking, and these devices can be found in all levels of military command. The infantry bring siege tanks with them, the aeronauts are famed for their canvas ospreys, the navy patrols with it's icecutter ships, and the scout corps patrol on ultralights. It is no secret that the Gwelin government maintains a cabal of necromancers in case of a more extreme invasion.
Ter Eira also keeps a massive dreadnought and an iron giant ready to go at all times, the same as the other four great powers. The flagship of the Gwelin skyfleet is Kingkiller, a flying fortress that is made of enormous stone battlements protecting a lengthy runway for groups of Ospreys to take off from. The giant is Winter Storm, a massive iron Gwelin styled so as to be wearing a polar bear cloak. It’s left hand is shaped like a Gwelin ice cutter, and it’s right is a gargantuan tower shield. It has a dragon inspired ice breath weapon.
Religion
As Rhyddid is an ascended Gwelin, the state mandates that Rhyddid be the only god allowed to be worshipped in her aspect as the Once and Future Queen, believing she is destined to return to mortal form and lead the Gwelin to supremacy over the entire continent. Naturally, the average citizen of Ter Eira privately ignores this rule in order to drive off the wrath of the Fifteen. There are also small pockets of Wind Dance practitioners scattered across the island.
Foreign Relations
General animosity towards the Empire drives Ter Eira's foreign policy. It maintains relations with all Truce entities, including the Empire, but refuses to trade with or negotiate with Imperials directly. They maintain most of the Singing Islands as an "unwilling protectorate", a stance that the Empire also seems to take and has been the source of many clashes throughout the centuries.
Agriculture & Industry
Due to the hostile nature of the island, the citizens of Ter Eira rely on massive farms harvesting specific, hardy crops such as ice radishes, winter wheat, and snowberries. None of these things are noted as tasting very good but they are highly nutritious. Nomads herd reindeer and hunters bring in bears and moose to feed their villages. Most villages have dedicated harvestmen who produce syrups and beer from edible conifers Many settlements specialize in the production of lumber or iron as the island is uniquely rich in the concentration of these resources. Not even the Ancient Darkwood can boast so many quality trees. To the north, Gwelin settlements harvest ice that never melts for sale to the southern nations, and all around the island's coast whalers bring in massive sea-beasts for harvesting. The state encourages the harvesting of shellfish as well, coldwater giant crabs make for popular dishes among the nobility of other countries. The smallest but still economically important industry of Ter Eira is the breeding of companion wolves, though buyers are very carefully investigated to ensure that the creatures will never serve the Empire.
Trade & Transport
Fleets of icecutter ships patrol the same routes around the island to ensure the safe passage of trading ships, but a majority of goods are moved overland down to the southern ports for trade with the Dwarves or the islanders to the south. Generally, the nomads are tasked with this endeavor, and they are compensated well to bring shipments across the island through the dangerous wilderness. Enormous sleds are weighed down with the goods and then pulled by dogs, deer, or mammoths. While trade goods and food supplies do occasionally disappear on the long journey, regular military patrols help ensure that the trading paths are mostly free of bandits and monsters. Along the network, small forts mark every thirty miles where things can be dropped off by one group of nomads and picked up by others or military patrols later.
Education
Gwelin children are instructed by wandering teachers that make regular circuits between the villages and nomad outposts. Young Gwelin are instructed in language, culture, and writing at home generally while the professional teachers cover basic mathematics, history, and other subjects. A majority of Gwelin are literate and over half speak Common or another foreign language. If a student shows particular promise the state often pays for them to become a Guild initiate and bring back their skills later. It is considered the duty of all citizens to achieve at least a basic education, and in the rural villages it is not uncommon for adults to run night classes about their particular specialties as a form of entertainment.
"Strength is the WIll of the People"
Founding Date
496
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Predecessor Organization
Training Level
Semi-professional
Veterancy Level
Recruit
Demonym
Gwelin
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Electocracy
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
Ter Eira is one of the signatories of the Guilded Truce, and as such uses Standard Currency in the form of the copper Pennet, silver Noblet, gold Draget, and platinum Deilet. It is the only Accorded nation to also keep official exchange rates for trade goods that citizens can exchange for currency at local offices.
Major Imports
Due to the limited variety of crops that grow on Ter Eira, the Gwelin trade with the Alliance of Aaldenbur heavily for crops like potatoes, fruits, carrots, and mushrooms (transported in Gwelin refrigerator ships of course). The government pays heavily for the steady acquisition of minor magical items as well, typically flasks of endless water and portable hearths. Very rarely are animals brought in, but when they are it is in great numbers to experiment with raising them in the cold. Cotton cloth and silks are heavily favored, as well as bundles and bundles of raw wool. Very few Gwelin, even wealthy ones, indulge in foreign luxuries, but those that do pay fortunes to have chocolate and spices and real tea smuggled in from the Empire.
Official State Religion
Deities
Official Languages
Neighboring Nations
Manufactured Items
Organization Vehicles
Notable Members
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Comments