Androchia

"The cluttered street pressed into my sides. The whirring of trinkets and the bursts of steam overloaded my senses so much that I could barely tell if I was still headed in the right direction. Then, with a pop, I was out. Before me was a sight equally perplexing but far more welcome. Eight massive churches equally spaced in a wide stone courtyard, each one dedicated to a different Goddess, and each observing their own religions ceremonies with peace and respect."
-Martha Del Statoria, Traveller and Novelist

Intro

Occupying the largest island on the Six Seas, Androchia is a religious juggernaut run by dwarves and gnomes. Technologically advanced, the nation is famed as a hub of innovation. But even more than for its innovation, the nation is known for the undead-hunting clerics who sail The Dread Sea.
Androchia is a neutral nation, and thus must be willing to welcome civilized folks from all nations (though not necessarily all backgrounds).

Geography

Androchia is located just southwest of the centre of the Six Seas, which are in turn are located in the centre of the Crown Ocean, which most nations surround. The island is by far the biggest on the seas, measuring a little over 50 miles on a side.
The isle is crowned by a massive mountain, Svilvilfilvish. Lining the mountain are a number of monasteries and elite religious orders. A number of passages run through the mountain - some well-travelled, some almost secret. Some of these passageways open up to underground spaces with marketplaces, inns, or other features of cities.
At the southeastern foot of the mountain is the sprawling city of Androchia itself, a bustling metropolis powered by steam. The port takes up well over half the coastline of the city and is particularly busy in Androchia's bay. The density of the city decreases going towards the northern edge of the island, which contains a smaller settlement, informally known as Dreadlaunch, which the undead-hunting clerics use as a base of operations. The southern block of the city is known as The Temple Quarter, and contains a plethora of temples, including one major temple for each of the Goddesses.
The west of the island is less densely populated and mostly consists of rocky plains at the foot of the mountain and tame forests further out. A number of upper-class villas can be found scattered here, as can an equal or greater number of poor folk who couldn't afford to live in the city.

History

During the Colonial War, Harpsbilge clashed with a number of international rivals in an attempt to gain control of the Six Seas. This conflict was of great detriment to the Bodari population, who simply wished to live in peace. So a group of elders gathered on the sacred isle of Aokhala (now Dread Isle) and cast the Second Curse of the Six Seas, forcing those who died in the vicinity of the isle to return in form of undeath under the control of those ruling the isle. This quickly backfired and caused the formation of the Dread Sea.
Harpsbilge, their international rivals, and the bodari all agreed that this issue needed to be resolved before the war could continue, and agreed to settle the largest isle on the Six Seas, Androchia, as a neutral territory with the purpose of having it destroy the undead of the Dread Sea. Thus was Androchia founded in 232 HB, and by 250 HB it was finished with initial construction and mostly settled.
How long Androchia was truly neutral is a question still debated by historians. What is known is that it was completely neutral until at least the end of the Colonial War and that by the time the Thieves' War rolled around, they were on the payroll of Timberwelsh. Once this was discovered in the Androchian Privateer Incident, the nation was subjected to economic sanctions from around the world, and has to this day remained neutral.

Governance

The rulership of Androchia is split between two parties, on paper equally powerful.
One rulership body is The Council of Eight Temples, which consists of eight religious leaders, one representing each Goddess. These leaders are generally the most senior ranking among their respective temples, but it's occasionally decided by the leadership of the temple that it's better for another member to take the position. This council is responsible for the wellness of the people and oversees the day-to-day affairs of the city.
The other rulership body is The Royal Assembly. This is a gathering of diplomats from Harpsbilge, Timberwelsh, Salimstan, Upir, Sin Oro, and a small selection of bodari tribes. This body mainly exists to shape the politics of Androchia and deal with international affairs. It was put in place after the Androchian Privateer incident in order to prevent corruption and ensure neutrality. Though technically equal on paper, The Royal Assembly holds power over The Council of Eight Temples, and the latter usually yields with light pressure.

Inhabitants

About 70% of Androchia's population is dwarves, gnomes, and dwomes - a mixture of the two. Dwarves and gnomes are about equal in population. The remainder of the population is widely varied, encompassing all of the common and uncommon Races of Nauvitalia. Of particular prevalence are humans, elves, and a surprising number of krulkers, who mostly inhabit a specially designed segment of the city.

Culture

Androchia is an incredibly religious nation. Even those who are not devout in worship will take part in a number of religious practices and ceremonies, as they are where community is built. The most prominent religions practice is known as The Hours of Value. The entire city shuts down from 10AM to 2PM on Solaris every week, observing a custom where everybody is expected to spend the hours on what they value most. Worshipers of Cyrill might count the fortunes that have come to them in the past week, while those of Zarkina may practice discipline and harsh training.
Androchia is also incredibly technologially advanced, due in no small part to the high population of gnomes. Innovation and problem solving have thus become key parts of Androchian culture. A common gnomish idiom goes: "There are millions of nails ready to be hammered, but I'll never make progress with just the hands I have". The implication is no matter how large the problem, one simply needs to come up with the tools to tackle it instead of charging in headfirst.

Founding Date

232 HB

Demonym

Androchian

Government System

Theocracy

Power Structure

Autonomous area