Aoiri
Aoiri is one of the oldest nations in Valamar and has a long history with its neighbors of giants that live on the Shattered Isles according to their foundation story. Despite its history, it has remained content to be isolated from the affairs of its neighbors. The Aoirians are proud people and look to their past to help guide them to a better future.
Structure
The organization of Aoiri is a monarchy but though the king has ultimate authority on any matter he often would need the support of other nobles to carry out his will. In a modern sense of this would be a Prime Minister or President of a country making political decisions but often needs the support of their political party to make sure their vision is carried out. The King of Aoiri has the power to propose and create laws, call upon the people of the nation to arms, can appoint people (even non-nobility) to administrative or military positions, can collect taxes from the citizens, appoint judges, can hear disputes and settle disputes brought before him, and creates the foreign policy in dealing with other intelligent races. The administration of the kingdom is broken down into broad groups that each handle the day to day affairs of the kingdom.
King-The highest political, and military authority in the kingdom of Aoiri.
Chancellor- A Chancellor is either a noble, or merchant, or a priest. Rarely is one a serf in this position but they are advisors to the king and take care of implementing the king's laws and maintain many aspects of the kingdom such as their economy, civil disputes, and working with the many faiths from the Church of Benelovant Gods.
High Lords - The High Lords are the ones that oversee the major provinces of the kingdom. There are only eight High Lords and their last name is taken from the province that they rule. The eight are Waterbowl, Goldfield, Western Shield, Westernbleed, Forest-Storm, Eastedge, Highland, and Southland.
Low Lords -These lords reside within one of the eight provinces and oversee a section of the province. they answer to the High Lords of Aoiri Low Lords are promoted from the Marquis and are responsible for overseeing the Marquis.
Marquis -The Marquis are nobles that are given a wider range of land to administer and to collect taxes and goods from the barons. Many Marquis are found in manors nearby towns or villages.
Baron-This noble is responsible for administration over a couple of nearby hamlets and farming communities.
Elder-This is a man or woman appointed by the local populace who is a representative for them to deal with Barons and Marquis. These local leaders are the chief important as they are the ones who collect taxes in the form of money, food, or goods.
Judicial System
In the vast sprawling countryside of the kingdom, there are many disputes even in small farming communities. Nobles appointed within the kingdom have the authority to hear a case and judge the appropriate punishment or restitution for the parties involved. However they can not hear every case and so this power to hear, judge, and sentence have been given to educated individuals regardless of their birth status to perform these tasks. Many of them travel to local areas where they hear cases brought before them, and then pass judgment. They often travel with a group of well-armed guards to help protect them in their travels and to enforce the sentence they give in case those who lost refuse to do what they are told.
To help facilitate cases between nobles there are special judges appointed by the Chancellors with the approval of the King to hear cases between the nobility and have the authority to see the disputes settled. A noble can try to appeal his case to a judge who is set to hear cases from higher nobles, in which case this process can eventually reach the King but that is rare. The locals can only appeal a case to the ruling lord who then might uphold the traveling judge's ruling or make his own. In major metropolitan areas there are sitting judges appointed by the local ruler with approval from the High Lord. In the major capitols of each province that the Highlords make their homes they are ruling lords and would need approval from the King to appoint a judge there. There is a minimum amount of population in a given community needed in order for a sitting judge to be appointed to be in that area and is supported by the local people providing housing, food, and a stipend of money to support them.
Traveling Judge-Hears cases between citizens of local areas: farming communities, hamlets, villages, towns, and cities. Appointed by a Marquis with approval from a Lower Noble. They often have retainers, and guards with them and will stay in a community for a week to hear any cases brought to them. The locals are expected to provide food, and living accommodations to him and his entourage in exchange for his knowledge, judgment, and enforcing of law. They do not travel during the winter months.
Sitting Judge-Hears cases between citizens of the local area, and from those who travel to bring their case. This includes farming communities, hamlets, villages, towns, and cities. Appointed by a Lower Noble with Approval from a High Noble. They heard local cases and could hear cases brought to them by parties from other areas that had already been judged by Traveling Judges. They are supported by the people within these communities being provided food, and housing.
Nobility Judge- These are judges that set and appointed by the Chancellor's and approved by the King. They are found in all the major cities of Aoiri and settle cases between all levels of the nobility. It is left to the judges themselves to determine which case required their attention but is expected to hear them all.
Culture
Aoirians are proud people who value strength in all of its forms. The Aoririans like the Giants of The Shattered Islands value strength but not just in the traditional sense of it in physical amplitude. Their heroes are often men and women who by cunning guile, brilliant flashes of intellect, or even refined charms defeated foes that were more powerful than themselves. This reflects their relationship with the Giants who once were staunch enemies are now steadfast allies. They value people who seek to improve themselves or those who are steadfastly dedicated to honing their craft. This plays at odds with their own class structure and the nobility wanting to keep the common folk where they are but often will take an individual with promising talent and help raise them up.
History
The earliest account of the people who would go on to form the Kingdom of Aoiri talk about their subjugation to the Giants of Talos. The people a mix of humans, dwarves, gnomes, and others were slaves to the Giants. The Giants were tasked with conquering new lands and keeping the slaves in line especially on their island and their spawling city on that island. The slave people worked together to turn the different clans of giants against each other resulting in a civil war that caught the eye of their god. Talos upon seeing his children squabble unleashed what is called by the Giants "Talos' Strength" a divine weapon of such power that it shattered their one island into many and was so powerful sent parts of their island to be lodged up among the clouds. It was from this point that the Giants learned to respect the mortals for their strength to defeat them without ever having to launch a single blow. This is how the legend goes but it is unclear of the details and the relation of the smaller mortals and the giants really were, and if "Talos' Strength" is an actual weapon or a metaphor of the god's power. Accounts continue to talk about many separate people groups living in this portion of the valley and of many communities that formed during this time. These smaller communities were often raided on by the Minotaurs of Narisrs but both were conquered by the Theamorans and absorbed into their spanning empire.
The region of Aoiri became a well-established trade community with them having some of the few safe passage routes that crossed the Tempest Range. During the time of the Theamoran Empire, they greatly prospered and were able to retain much of their cultural identity and were given great security from the Theamorans who protected them raids from the Narisrians. As the Empire collapsed to the Lich Kings ever-growing army of undead they rallied together with their long time allies the giants and their long time enemies the Narisrian Minotaurs to fight against the kings. They all joined the Collation of Races and were successful in sealing the Lich Kings away and finishing off many of the Undead who left. In the aftermath of what is called The War of Life, the emperor was dead and had no living heir leaving many of the leaders of the Collation to fight for territory carving sections of the Empire out for themselves or leaving others entirely abandoned. The leader of the Aoirians was a human man named Fallagar and claimed all the land west of the Tempest Range to the edges of the Stone Forest and all the way south to the edges of the Dwarven Lands. Fallagar also established a formal treaty with the King of Giants Oredralahn Stormthrower that has continued on so far to the present day. Fallagar also established the nobility from those he saw had proved themselves capable in adminstration, leading troops, and diplomatic ability. These would be the founding of the eight high nobles and he also set precedent for the types of people that should be promoted to nobility.
The current leader of Aoiri is King Fallagar VIII and his wife Queen Cel'ah rule in a manner that is most befitting to the Fallagar name and continues to uphold the ideas of his ancestor. They have met the troubles of the last thirty years head on and have dealt with them in a graceful manner. They were able to mobilize their forces aganist the combine waves of Dark Elves, and Undead that threaten to resubugate the county back to the days of giant rule. It was not their fault then when a few short years later the Narisrians invaded and took much of the land of Westernbleed and large portions of The Stone Forest as they were refocused on rebuilding the ruined homes of Southland, Forest-Storm and Highland. They were able to halt the invasion into the country but were unable to reclaim the land that was stolen from them when they negoatiated a peace treaty with the leaders of Narisrs. Aoirians see in their history that it is not a weakness to retreat or to lie low for their true strength is showen and displayed at just the right moments.
Demography and Population
| Province | Population | Largest Population |
| Eastguard | 246,057 | Human |
| Forest-Storm | 444,676 | Elf |
| Goldfield | 735,504 | Human |
| Highland | 278,106 | Dwarf |
| Southland | 646,240 | Dwarf |
| Waterbowl | 797,618 | Human |
| Westernbleed | 646,240 | Halfling |
| Westernshield | 700,740 | Dwarf |
Religion
Aoiri accepts and promotes the Church of Benevolent Gods. The Church of Benevolent Gods accepts all gods from different pantheons that desire to benefit all mortals through improving their lives through healing their wounds, spreading peace, and helping people out of dire situations. The Church discourages the worship of any deity that does not follow these core guiding principles. The type of gods discouraged to be worshiped would be Bhaal, Cyric, Jergal, Set, and Loki. They also discourage the worship of devils and demons such as Asmodeus and Orcus. This is true across the lands of Southern Theados and Northern Valamar.
Foreign Relations
Aoiri has friendly relations with its giant neighbors who live in the geological area known as the Shattered Isles. It has enjoyed this hard-kept peace for the last 700 years since the War of Life. Since then many of the giant tribes have accepted and valued their smaller mortal companions that have come from Aoiri. Each king of Aoiri has strived to keep good relations with their giant neighbors for as it was before the War of Life that forced them into their initial alliance they had constant skirmishes along each other's borders.* This stands in stark contrast to their other neighbor to the west of the Minotaur nation of Narisrs which since the War of Life have been in a constant state of war. Before the War of Life, the minotaurs traveled in nomadic packs called Gore Herds but it was during this desperate time that the multiple bands came together and for their recognition in battle were given the vast grasslands of Machra west of the Stone Forest which would stay within the borders of Aoiri. However, this only a temporary solution as the population of the Minotaurs exploded and soon they were pushing their boundaries in all directions. This has kept tensions high between the two nations and no solution short of total war has been brought forth to end this tension.
*Look into the Giants of the Shattered Isles for more information on the cultural practices of why this occured.
Merit through Action
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Training Level
Elite
Veterancy Level
Decorated/Honored
Demonym
Aoirians
Leader
Leader Title
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Legislative Body
High Lords and the Chancellor Council
Judicial Body
Appointed Judges
Official State Religion
Location
Official Languages
Neighboring Nations
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