Nefis
Structure
Council:
The Council is made up of fifteen members from the main types of industry found within Nefis, rune casters, scholars, magistrates, military commanders, the church, and diplomats.
These council members are men and women who have been working in that particular industry for at the very least a decade and a half. Their terms last for six years, and each councilmember can only serve a maximum of four terms throughout their lifetime. The industries represented are mining, farmers, herdsman, craftsmen, smiths, foresters, merchants, hunters, and fishers/whalers. Each council member is considered to be the head of that industry for the duration of their term.
Typically, each council member conducts their business without needing to consult the others. Unless, of course, they are planning on doing something that will affect the country as a whole in which a vote is held which requires a majority votes to pass. Hard work and honesty are essential values to every Nefsian citizen but even more so for the council members. If a council member is discovered to be corrupt they are arrested, and the individual’s wealth is taken from them, and they are banished after a length of imprisonment.
Consul: The Consul is considered to be the person responsible for representing Nefis on the international stage. This person is someone who has held at least one term on the council and is voted in by the councilmembers. If the Consul was holding a position on the Council, like Administer of Logging, they will continue to hold that position in addition to their Consul duties. The Consul, in addition to representing Nefis, is responsible for: keeping the meetings between the council members on track and civil, settling disputes between council members, setting an agenda, counting all votes, and signing all laws and bills passed by the Council.
Public Agenda
The people of Nefis are motivated to doing everything they can to benefit themselves and Nefis. If someone is injured in a mining accident, their neighbors and family will provide them with assistance or if a child is orphaned, they will be adopted by the closest family member. No one who calls Nefis home will ever find themselves wanting so long as there are two people who consider themselves Nefisian.
Assets
The forests that cover the Slumbering Highlands and make up a majority of the kingdom of Nefis provide large quantities of wood of various types and colors. These woods and the grasslands below them are home to a number of prey and predator creatures that provide meat, fur, hides, feathers, and various other items that could be used in either crafting or decoration. Additionally, below the alpine tundra, the mountains are covered with colorful with buttercups, cornflowers, mountain avens, bell-flowers, snow-bells, aster, gentian and many other kinds of bright wildflowers. Some flora, such as Arnica and some varieties of pine are also used in potions while other can be used for human consumption.
The oceans that surround the northern, eastern, and western parts of the mountain provide fish, whale and other sea creatures that can be used for food and to produce oil. The rivers and lakes found on the mountainside provide people with fresh water as well as fish for food and plants such as reeds used for thatching and construction.
The mountains themselves provide the people with resources as they are rich in iron, gold, silver, and copper ore and a number of these mines have branched off with the discovery of amethyst, topaz, citrine and other quartz veins.
History
Formation
Centuries ago, the mountainous region that would become Nefis was filled with tribes who stayed away from each other for the most part, only coming into conflict when resources were scarce. The village that would become Nefis' capital city, Beskerm, was founded by a small tribe who were forced to leave their former land due to an early winter killing off most of their crops. The clan, led by a woman named Zufan Maren, ventured up into the mountains to find game and forage for food.
One day, while following a deer, Zufan, got lost in the dense forest and was forced to wander aimlessly until she came upon a narrow valley that led to a clearing with a crystalline lake in the center. Looking around, she realized the area was surrounded by mountain on all sides, except for the one she came from and would be the perfect place to build a well-fortified settlement. Climbing one of the mountainous walls, Zufan was able to look down upon the mountain and could see smoke rising from the land below from where her tribe was building fires for the night. Spending the night in the clearing, Zufan set out the next day, using her hatchet to mark a trail back to the clearing as she made her way down toward where she'd seen the smoke rising the night before. The path was challenging in some places, but she was eventually able to reach where the rest of her tribe was staying and told them about the valley and lake she had found.
Growth
So, they built a settlement on the lake and began tilling the land for farming. As their settlement began to flourish, Zufan realized it would be selfish to keep this area all to themselves. So, she sent her children, Astvar, Bara, and Markos to speak with three tribes they were already friendly with, saying that all four tribes would be stronger if they worked together to build up the area. Thankfully, all three accepted and not only did the settlement's population quadruple in size they brought their own specializations that added to the security and resourcefulness of Beskerm. The Sada tribe were a group of herdsmen, the Varby were talented foresters, and taught the others the proper skills of logging as well as how to build sturdy homes and buildings. The Birme people were known to trade with all the other tribes in the area as well as the foundling kingdom of Kinvarra and brought their skill of crafting to the group. It was Zufan and the leaders of these three tribes, Abate from Sada, Bodhild from Varby, and Tefsa from Birme who created the first council. The settlement Zufan had built was dubbed Beskerm and was made capital of the newly formed kingdom of Nefis.
The council and Nefis' fortunes expanded as rich ore veins were discovered and the Administer of Mining position was created to ensure the safety of the miners. Two decades after the mines were first built, a mining team was expanding their mine shaft found an underground river. Following it, they eventually came to a vast sea cave opening that opened out to the ocean that washed up against the mountain. Immediately, the council ordered all supports for the entire mine be strengthened and had the tunnels thoroughly explored. Once they were mapped out, the council had a port and the port town of Kambar built. With the new port, they were able to open up new trade routes with the nearby kingdom of Kinvarra as well as the distant kingdoms of Aryia and Kimiri and added the Administrator of Trade, Administer of Fishing, and the Head Ambassador to the Council.
With the new trade, the population of Nefis exploded and the Council began to have concerns over the port's vulnerability compared to the rest of Nefis and they created the Chancellor and the Grand Marshal of the Army positions on the council. The former would oversee the upholding of the laws as well as the distribution of the city guards while the latter would oversee the newly formed Navy that would patrol the waters around the port as well as oversee the rangers who were tasked with patrolling the mountainside for poachers or foreign traders who might have gotten lost.
Kambar, and by extension Nefis, continued to steadily grow until they were a country respected for their trade and feared for their strong defenses. Within the past fifty years, after much debate and argument, the Archmage of the Dikro Rune Academy was given a seat upon the council as well.
Territories
The territory Nefis holds, are lands their ancestors used to roam across before settling down in Beskerm.
Foreign Relations
Nefis has good relations with nearly every other nation on Iosis. The only exception is the pirate city of Sanctuary due to its nefarious origins. With all the other nations, there is a general understanding that when dealing with someone from Nefis bartering and haggling are allowed but if anyone tries to swindle a Nefisian merchant, that person will find themselves jailed or banished from Nefis for life.
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Nefisian
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Traditional
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Organization Vehicles
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Comments