Arainia
No! Arainia doesn't like to start fights, but you keep poking a Storm Cat and you're gonna get shocked.A powerful nation of goblinoids, gnomes, humans, and orcs, Arguably Risailya's preeminent superpower.
Famous for its Sky Navy and the Sky Lancers, who form a mystical bond with a strain of elemental Storm Cats, Arainia boasts a powerful military. Governmentally Arainia functions as a Geoist Republic. All resources extracted from the land, including timber, mineral resources, and wild-harvested food belong to the people. Fishers, farmers, loggers, or any other professions that provide resources for the nation, gain automatic citizenship. Those who make and sell the labor of their own hands, including craftspeople, entertainers, and similar professions, keep one hundred percent of their profits without taxation but to gain a chance at citizenship, such residents must serve 2 years in any capacity that benefits the nation, be it in the army, the naval services -maritime or sky- as a healer, a farmer, or any of several other choices. After two years of service, a sponsor can put forth anyone with two or more years of service as a prospective citizen. Once put forth as a prospect, the candidate's service record is read in an open forum in the capital, so long as there are no objections then citizenship is granted. If objections are given they must be noted and a vote is held in which a simple majority of those who have viewed both the petition and the objections determine whether citizenship is granted. Those who serve ten or more years automatically gain citizenship.
A council of 11, each of whom has a purview, such as war, commerce, and so on serves as a ruling and advisory body bringing issues of import under their purview before the people. The nation also has a People’s Council. The People's Council is made up of representatives from Arainia’s towns and districts, so the number of seats on the People's Council varies but hovers around 150. The People’s Council acts to bring matters of importance from the nation’s regions or districts to the attention of the public for a vote. Arainia's ever-present Sky Navy allows the system to work by delivering newly elected council members to the capital every two years. Citizens who can rally enough of their peers behind an issue, depending on its weight, can bring items up for a vote as well. On major issues, the Councilor in charge of a certain area is free to carry out the will of the people for two full years at which time the people can either allow them to continue or vote them out with a majority vote. For instance, if the people vote for the country to go to war the Councilor of War is free to command the forces of the nation as he sees fit without any further votes on the issue for a full year. No Councilor may serve more than five terms and they may not accept gifts, or work, for ten years after they leave office during which time they are paid a modest stipend and are provided with basic housing. Additionally, no vote or law may ever exempt Councilers from the laws they pass in such as way as to give them an advantage over other citizens. Most Arainians view voting as not only a right but a duty, citizens must vote on 50% of issues placed before them or they lose their voting rights for a full year. A second offense requires that the offender argue before a magistrate or lose their right to vote unless the magistrate determines circumstances prevent them from voting.
Culture
A free-thinking Geoist Republic, Aranian's are open to a diverse range of lifestyles, methods of worship, and cultural traditions. As a nation of gnomes, humans, orcs, and goblinoids many follow several gnomish traditions. Archeology of pre-enslavement sights have become wildly popular in Ariana academic and cultural circles, espceilly among the Reclaimers who had little or no access to these sites during the Enslavement. A great ongoing debate rages in Arainia over how much the elves and dwarves influenced the traditions of many modern Arainian practices but the Reclimers point to archeological digs a proof of their efficiency at their task. Ages in slavery gives Arainia a unique culture quite unlike any real-world equivalent. People come before property in almost every respect in Arainia and the nation's laws reflect this stance. While acts like property theft are illegal they often carry much lighter sentences than crimes against persons, often in the form of restorative actions or services.
Arainia culture highly values individual rights but never at the expense of the collectvie, anyone who places their own needs and desires above the health and welfare of those around them is a view with great distrust, as placing others ahead oneself is seen as a key virtue during the Enslavement.
Physical artifacts of Arnaina culture often emulate the dictates of the Reclaimers who have blended past goblinoid, human, and orcish civilizations, Thus the clothing in Arnina sports a wide range of bright colors mixed in bold patterns (good examples for inspiration include Native, MesoAmeican, and SubSharan African dress, though Arainian dress does not directly emulate any of the cultures in cut or pattern. Popular Arainian armor appears very close to lamellar on the upper arms, upper legs, waist, and shoulders, with rigid armor covering the forearms, lower legs, and upper torso. These armors often emulate the fur or skin patterns of certain popular animals. Popular Arainian weapons other than farlances include swords with a single-bladed edge that look like a cross between a scimitar and a katana although with a finer point than either. The blades often have ornate patterns etched into the blade and many sport a wide range of distinctive "cutouts" which run along the weapon's spine. Polearms with shorter versions of this blade are also popular. Arainia is also well-known for its Zithin blades, crest-shaped weapons that vary from 12" to 48" in length. The entire convex edge of the weapon is sharpened while a handle is cut into near one point of the concave side, placing the wielder's hand fully behind the cutting edge, while leaving a short stabbing point opposite the main length of the blade.
Arainian cuisine boasts a wide array of flavors and tends toward bold and spicy fare. Fish, lamb, corn, fruit, and the popular Wezal plant make up key staples of the Arainian diet. The wezal plant, native to southern Terislan, looks like a small to medium-sized shrub that produces a purple fruit. This fruit grows on the plant in clusters of five to seven with each fruit growing to about 4" or 5" in diameter. The meat of the wezal fruit comes close to a potato in consistency and is used to make breads and as a base for a wide range of cakes and porridge-like dishes. Filling, and packed with key vitamins and nutrients, wezal fruit has a very mildly sweet taste that makes it perfect as a base for many dishes as it can be spiced to suit a variety of tastes. Variants with bolder flavors and even naturally spicy stains of the plant are also popular with many Arainians. A fermented mash of the wezal fruit also produces the thick and powerful drink known as Armorack (Goblin for earth milk). When prepared by certain ritualistic methods the drink holds great religious significance, but less formal versions are found in almost every Arainian home and tavern. Known for gaining increased potency and changing its flavor profile the longer it is fermented, the drink is put to a variety of uses. Younger, milder versions with little alcohol content are served to Arainian children on a fairly regular basis, while the most potent versions are reserved for popular festivals and other special occasions.
Arainians love bold and powerful spices and flavors leading many non-Arainian's to describe their cuisine as "too hot" for their palates.
Public Agenda
Arainian's understand their position as the sole superpower, though may scholars suggest the Chandra might be able to challenge that claim. The nation keeps a wary eye on Andol fearing the nation's potential for expansion and their hunger for colonial holdings. Arainia also keeps a wary eye on Olan Tor and Qaunyelen and the various dwarven holdings on the continent. Arainia's power and its fear that it might someday lose its preeminence makes the nation somewhat paranoid causing it to meddle in affairs well beyond its borders. Arnaina has no aspirations for expansion but they do seek trade partners and unclaimed resources and regularly send out expeditions to other parts of the world. Rumors even persist that they plan to send expeditions to the northern hemisphere within the next few years.
Assets
Arainia mines Vargshak from Darshalwyn's Backbone. This magically potent and durable metal does not appear in any other known location on Risailya. Arainia also has the best access to the Floating Forest where they harvest skywood for their skyship fleet. These two commodities give Arainia a powerful economic advantage. Arainia fields the largest known fleet of skyships, has a large well-trained military force, and fairly fertile farmlands, making the nation largely self-sufficient. They also produce more Farlances than nations other than the Chandra and various dwarven holds.
History
Founded shortly after the War of Liberation by a half dozen of the more liberal rebel factions, Ariana gained quick favor from a group of gnomes who had long encouraged their leaders to take a more active hand in the War of Liberation. This gnome splinter group joined the rebel factions and advised them during the crafting of the Arainian Charter. Claiming land ceded by the elves during the peace process the group named their nation Arania after the goblin rebel leader Arain Dargken who died late in the war preventing a strike force from flanking the rebels in the 2nd Battle of the Backbone. The loss of a well-respected leader was a huge blow to Alliance morale but their sacrifice also inspired their compatriots and her name became a rallying cry. The newly freed peoples took over a few elven settlements, and like elsewhere resolved to build new towns and cities over the next several years.
Demography and Population
Eager to cut ties with what they had known during the Enslavement the founders of Ariana consciously sought to eschew the lifestyles of their former masters. The only models they had were gnomish culture, what the Reclaimers managed to preserve, and the cultures of the rare enclaves of free goblinoids, orcs, and humans that formed free settlements far from elven and dwarven lands. The settlements lived in constant fear of discovery and capture and shared few traits. They tended to arrange their structures in concentric circles in areas like dense forests, or cave systems that gave them cover, or on wide open plains that gave sentries the best chance to see approaching forces. The circular design aided watches and defensive strategies and the free settlements learned to make mazes of the streets within these towns, though few ever grew more than 3 or 4 rings in size. Thus circular or semi-circular design became a staple of Arainian towns and cities.
Freedom, Unity, Vigilance
Founding Date
2 YL
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Arainian
Economic System
Mixed economy
Official State Religion
Comments