Commonwealth of Furan

Description

The Commonwealth of Furan, or Furan for short is a nation built around the north side of the Obsidian Peaks. The vast majority of the population (~95%) is comprised of a combination of native Dwarves and Gnomes who have made their home near these mountains for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the plentiful obsidian can be used to make very strong tools and weapons. Secondly, the volcanic mountains are very rich in rare gemstones, which their artisans use to make magical jewelry. Lastly, they have dug many channels in the mountain slope to reroute any magma that flows down into their blacksmith shops.
Living near a volcano is dangerous, but the Furanians have adapted to this quite well. As mentioned, they have rerouted the magma into channels for their own use. On top of that, they use multiple tunnels to enter the mountains so that even when many are blocked, there will always be a way out. Some of these tunnels run miles away in case of an emergency. All their rooms and doors are made of heavy stones to prevent ash, fumes and magma from entering. Also have a way to firmly shut every door into and out of the compound - preferably with heavy stone - to prevent magma, ash, and gas from entering. These tunnels are all littered with air ducts that can be easily closed off mechanically using levers.

Growing crops inside caverns is rarely feasible, but the Furanians instead make use of terraced farms on the slopes of the mountain range. The occasional waft of ash coming from the mountains is a good fertilizer too, so the soil is plenty fertile. The cities further away from the mountains are almost entire focused on agriculture, and trade part of their crops for metalwork and jewelry from the cities closer to the mountains.

Politics

Furan is a democratic republic whose government is split in three branches: legislative, executive and judicial.
The legislative branch is represented by the Zharukk Council, which has the sole authority to enact legislation, declare war and impeach members of the executive or judicial branches. It is made up of 12 members who are democratically chosen every 10 years. Each individual can only serve for maximum of 60 years on the council.
The executive branch is vested in the Twin Guardians and their advisory organ, the Shieldbearers. The Twin Guardians always consists of one Dwarf and one Gnome, and they are elected by the common people. The one requirement is that they have to have had at least 5 years of experience serving in either the Zharukk council or the Silver Hammer. They serve for 25 years per term, and each individual can serve for a maximum of 6 terms. The Twin Guardians are the official heads of state and high commanders of the army. They have the power to sign or reject legislation as proposed by the Zharukk Council into law. In the event of an emergency situation, they hold full authority and power.
The five Shieldbearers form an advisory council for the Twin Guardians on all executive decisions. They are also the de facto heads of the different executive government organs. Unlike other parts of the government, participation in the Shieldbearer council is established on hereditary right and exclusive to some of the older patrician families of Furan. Being an advisory organ, they do not enter the spotlight very much, which is perhaps why this outdated hereditary system has not lead to significant protest yet. But as the only ones who may advise the Twin Guardians, they do hold significant influence within the Commonwealth.
The judicial branch is separated over the different law houses, of which at least one can be found in every large city. The organization that holds court in these houses and interprets the law as decided by the other two organs, is called the Silver Hammer. It is separated from the other organs to ensure fair judgement is passed at all times and so that the legislative and executive branches can be properly held accountable.
Concerning their international politics, they have avoided any relationships that might entail direct economical aid or military action. Furan generally aims to stay neutral and maintain positive trading relations with as many factions as possible. And due to their excellent craftsmanship, most are happy to keep this trade going.

Culture

The Gnomes and Dwarves of these lands have always intermingled, even in past kingdoms, through a shared love for engineering and because they make up for each other's weaknesses. The Dwarves cannot use arcane magic, but they are physically strong and excellent blacksmiths. The Gnomes on the other hand have plenty of magical talent and creative drive, but their physiques means they are not suited for the physical aspects of metalworking.
The importance of craftsmanship in Furan has led to some interesting cultural traditions, in particular the way they treat a person's hands. Since our hands are what we use to create everything and how we interact with the world, they believe a person's soul to not be in their heart or head, but in their hands. If you can see and/or touch a person's hand, you can tell what kind of person they are. As such furanians almost always cover their hands in public, and showing one's hands is a sign of intimacy reserved only for family, lovers or very close friends. This is also why the idea of replacing one's hands with mechanical alternatives as some of the Future Kin have done is so objectionable to much of the regular population.

History

Thousands of years ago, these lands were ruled by a cult worshiping a dragon that lived in the Obsidian Peaks. Little knowledge of these times remains, except for the myth of the Twin Guardians. The cult started out relatively harmless, worshiping animals and in particular their dragon 'God' Xivuran. The priests supposedly kept the peace between the people and the Xivuran by supplying him with ample treasure and sacrifices. Over time however the priests started to realize the power they had over the tribes and started to use this influence to enrich themselves and even enslave others. This was when the Twins rose up. They were two sworn blood-brothers, one a Dwarf, the other a Gnome. They were mighty warriors, who had fought off many invaders and monsters. Seeing the oppression that had befallen their people, they took up their weapons and snuck out in the night. They evaded the guards and entered Xivuran's lair, where they challenged him to mortal combat, and won. The next morning they walked outside, each holding up a fang of Xivuran himself to signify the deed had been done. Afterwards the cult was dissolved, the people freed and from each fang a weapon was made that to this day is still used to represent the office of Guardian. Times were tumultuous after the destruction of the dragon cult and many tribes and kingdoms have risen and fallen since, but the tradition of having one Dwarf and one Gnome as rulers has remained through all these times. They have also never again implemented any form of state religion for fear of repeating the same mistakes.

For many centuries now, Furan has been one of the only stable countries in Levantis and they pride themselves on this stability. Of course certain factions within the country have risen and fallen, and even a few Guardians have been 'forcibly removed', but all in all the Commonwealth has retained its current political structure for quite some time. With most of the population consisting of two naturally inventive races, there is a large focus on acquiring and spreading new knowledge within the Commonwealth. This has been massively improved by the recent discovery of the printing press. New inventions are reviewed by the board of the Grand Furan Library, copied, and subsequently sent out to all branch offices of the organization. Anyone can access this reference information within the library and this has lead to a well-read and learned populace.
Their century-long stability has recently started to weaken with technological advancements giving rise to a trans-humanoid movement called the Future Kin, that is steadily gaining in popularity amongst Gnomes while the more traditionalist Dwarves fiercely oppose it.

Military

Considering their relatively peaceful history, military might has never been a particular focus for Furan. Of course they maintain a large enough standing army that combined with militia and mercenaries they could easily ward off a minor invasion, but they never prepare for conquest as they consider it a poor use of resources compared to their research.
The troops they do have are very well-armed however. These Thruki soldiers wield sturdy obsidian weapons and well-made armor as they stand resolute, barring any foe from advancing beyond their post. They are supported by the advanced weaponry of the Commonwealth that has been created as a result of the invention of steam power. Horrible flame cannons that melt approaching enemies, and powerful steam cannons whose projectiles are launched by the massive pressure of rapidly expanding vapor are sure to scare off any would-be invaders. After all, few soldiers would want to run into combat while fire and steel is being rained upon them.

Hearts blazing, minds soaring.

Type

Geopolitical, Republic

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Trained

Demonym

Furanian

Location

Lu'qua Tropics

Controlled Territories

• Bhar Thaldur

Flame Cannon

One of the greatest inventions of the Commonwealth, is the flame cannon. It is an immensely powerful, but cumbersome weapon that has repelled many a would-be invader. It was devised shortly after they invented steam engines and it works of a similar principle. The main barrel is usually made of copper due to its heat resistance. They heat the barrel, then they create and add a mixture of sulfur and pitch. Next they add a burning wad and immediately afterwards, inject water directly behind the wad. The water rapidly expands into vapor and blasts out the mixture that catches fire as it leaps out of the barrel. This creates a stream of fire and goo that melts the skin of anyone unfortunate enough to stand in it. Beyond raw damage, this tends to have a devastating psychological effect on enemies who see their friend's gruesome deaths.