Feshaesia
Feshaesia won't be visited during the books as planned so far. References do occur, but for the most part, this country does not matter except as a plot device.
The High King of Feshaesia has been expanding his borders through both diplomacy and conquest, leaving about 80% of the Lowlands under his control, and then there was the Attack on Epraisia, beginning an apparent initiative to expand northward as well. The people of other countries not yet approached about his Unification attempts are almost unanimously united in dislike of the High King and his armies. To them, he's trying to take over and become a dictator above the systems they are used to (their existing kings and nobles). This has led to the colloquialism "feshin", synonymous with other vulgar present participle verb usage often ending in the cognate suffix -in' in place of -ing.Structure
When Feshaesia was claimed as a kingdom, the ruler was titled King (and/or Queen, sometimes adding Consort for clarity). Within the kingdom, the King chose lords or other titles that suited him.
The most recent King of Feshaesia has begun an attempt at Unification of the Continent. He has done this with diplomacy first, in which neighboring kingdoms have become "princedoms" within Feshaesia, ruled by the same person(s) as before joining Feshaesia, provided loyalty is sworn and adherence to Feshaesian laws continues. As it has been customary to refer to the preexisting rulers as 'king' as well, he has chosen to title himself High King, as king of several subordinate kings (rather than Emperor or some loftier title which might be objected to by those whose kingdoms have been subsumed). Those kingdoms that refuse to join the unification efforts have been conquered without mercy. These become territories of Feshaesia, and the rulers are replaced with appointees chosen by the High King. Unification efforts have made a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare within Feshaesia, but the king is more interested in unification than he is in the details. Bureaucrats have already begun attempting to straighten out the Feshaesian hierarchy, but it is a work in progress.
Culture
<bits of Celtic, Roman, ??>
Public Agenda
Of late, the High King's desire for Unification has taken precedence over everything else. This has led to quite a bit of concern among his advisors and heads of state, but the High King's word is law.
Prior agendas have included growing wealth of every citizen, not just the nobility, thus raising the overall prosperity of the country. Trade is prosperous as well, and the country has connections as far north as there are peoples on this continent.
Assets
Feshaesia is without a doubt the wealthiest country on this continent, to the point where the value of gold and silver coins is standardized based on the Feshaesian potin, which circulates through the Midlands and the Lowlands. (Potin are cast coins with the profile of the High King on one side and the Feshaesian lynx on the other, made of an alloy of copper, tin, and lead. Essentially these are tokens whose value was set, rather than inherent.[1])
History
Feshaesia originally was about the same size as Nesbiqa, as Clan Neshya and Clan Feshya were related (a split between sons of a clan chief). That was increased due to conflict with a neighboring country to the west, the name of which has now been forgotten by all but historians and bureaucrats.
It wasn't until the most recent king that attempts at Unification were made, which has changed the size, shape, and makeup of Feshaesia in the last thirty years. [TIMELINE/DATES NEEDED!] Now the High King (a new title created about 25 years ago) controls eighty percent of the Lowlands, and has now made armed moves against the southernmost Midlands countries, Epraisia and Nesbiqa.
The Attack on Epraisia has caused quite a bit of unrest across the continent, as it makes clear the lengths to which the High King is intending to go. Had he remained controlling only the Lowlands, the remaining Midland kingdoms could likely have accepted it. Now, trouble is brewing on all Feshaesian fronts; military, diplomatic, trade.
Demography and Population
The population of Feshaesia had been primarily Feshen until the Unification of much of the Lowlands have expanded this to include other Lowlanders as well. Though Feshen are spreading rapidly, other Lowland ethnicities are quick to claim they too are Feshen, finding any number of ways to "become" Feshen, marriage being the most common. This has grayed the line between Feshen and other Lowlanders, to the point the terms are almost one and the same.
Territories
Most of Feshaesia is now made up of lands assimilated, rather than the original tribal lands, which are less than twenty percent of the new territory.
Religion
Feshaesia primarily follows Polytheism, with a pantheon of deities which overlap some with the Midlands pantheon; certain gods are more favored in the Lowlands.
However, with the rise of several influential druidic families, the king of Feshaesia married a druid noblewoman for his queen, now the High Queen. This has brought the druidic faith back into more common notice, though it's unclear if the druids were merely hiding in plain sight prior to this or if there has been a resurgence of the faith.
Foreign Relations
Until the king decided on his Unification plan (approximately thirty years ago), Feshaesia had active and healthy foreign relations with other countries on the continent. Trade was the most common interaction between nations, each taking advantage of other areas' natural resources, especially the Highlands' arcanum crystal. People and goods traveled freely around the Midlands and Lowlands, with expeditions into the Highlands with permission from clan chiefs.
Capital
Fethonia
Founded In
2nd–1st century BRR
Leaders
High King and Queen
Predecessors
Clan Feshya
Demonym
Feshaesian, Feshen (see Feshen),
sometimes simply Lowlanders
Crest
Only the royal family are permitted to wear or display the full device: Or, in chief embattled gules, a lynx rampant sable. The rest of the country gets just the gold background with the Feshaesian lynx.
Region
The Lowlands
Neighbors
Epraisia (north)
Nesbiqa (northeast)
(most of Lowlands south/southwest claimed by Feshaesia)
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
