The Kingdom of Gallia
The Kingfom of Gallia is the largest and most influential of the human kingdoms on the continent of Raath. It is ruled from the capital city of Lutetia, where the monarch jolds their court.
Despite being united under one monarch, unlike the ancient days before the Elven Empire, Gallia remains divided. The duchy of Oquitaine, as ever, strives for independence, and the duchy of Toulosé chafes under the yolk of Gallia's recent annexation. The north of the of Neustria, the royal domain, suffers an influx of Barbari raiders, who have begun to settle its northern borders, and Brettoni is eternally wild and untamed.
Structure
The Kingdom of Gallia follows a feudal structure, often explained as a pyramid.
At the peak of the pyramid is the monarch, the owner of the kingdom's land. The monarch is not authoritarian – there are limits to their power, such as restrictions surrounding the removal of fiefdoms and rights of the citizenry, especially the nobles. The monarch grants land to those below them, making up the upper eschelons of nobility, mostly dukes, although the Count of Blois and the Baron of Rème also receive their land directly from the monarch. The monarch is also responsible for ensuring the wellbeing and prosperity of their people.
These high ranked nobles owe the monarch their allegiance and military support, should it be called upon. They also grant land to those they choose, usually counts or barons (though some especially paranoid dukes have historically appointed exclusively barons, fearing the power of counts). They are responsible for the protection and prosperity of everyone within their fiefdom (usually a duchy).
This next rank of nobility owe their fealty to their landlords in the same manner as their landlords do to their monarchs. They, in turn, delegate land to knights and yeomen, and are similarly responsible for the protection of their fiefdom.
Knights and yeomen are tasked with direct management of small estates, or demesnes, and the population within those lands, specifivally with regards to their protection. Many such knights will make up the mesne of their lord, their immediate household warriors, the most loyal servants a lord can find. Many powerful knights, referred to as knights bannerette, will have other knights in service to them, their own personal mesne. Often, knights fo not hold their own land, but have residence within their lord's house.
The next rank are the artisans and merchants. While they have no noble title and no liese of land, their skills or properties afford them wealth and respect.
Lowest in the pyramid are the peasants, tenants and workers of the land, under the protection and rule of their landlord.
All wealth and resources move up from the peasants and artisans, with each taking tax from those below them, in addition to the monarch's tax on coin.
Culture
Gallian Cultural Identity
Gallian cultural identity places a heavy emphasis on freedom, loyalty, wine and martial skill. While Pyreon is considered a kingdom of rich culture and art, Curith is considered a kingdom of faith (or fanaticism, depending on who you ask), Gallia is considered a kingdom of war, for a few reasons. Firstly, the Gallian tribes prior to Elven occupation had a reputation as fierce and warlike people. Secondly, though not permanent, they can call up the largest army on the entire continent. Thirdly, it has a history of cunning tacticians and feuding barons, as well as militant monarchs. Its first king, Charle de Gallia, was a clever and impressive figure, a master of both politics and war, feared across the continent.Gallians & Striking
Striking is an important right to the people of Gallia, and one that is used liberally. Since the Peasant Revolt of 12586, the unrestricted right to strike without reprisal or punishment has been central to Gallian law, though it can be suspended in times of war. The Gallian peasantry and artisans have become notorious for striking whenever they are displeased about something, which is not uncommon, and has been made more effective by the institution of guilds, some of which even span into Pyreon. This has given the Gallians an unfair reputation for laziness, since they are hardworking and industrious people when not striking. They simply are rather vexed by a number of things, which encourages them to strike.Public Agenda
The Kingdom of Gallia's public agenda is to bring protection and prosperity to its people, while remaining independent and united. The reasoning behind this has a few emportant facets. First, that prosperity brings wealth and power and for prosperity people are needed, second, that they have experienced outside rule and found it thoroughly displeasing, to say the least, and finally, because it was through initial and later disunity that Gallia was initially conquered.
History
The Kingdom of Gallia was founded a little under 3000 years ago, after the Pari Chieftain Charle de Gallia led a coalition of Gallic tribes against an Elven invasion. With this victory, he became the first king of Gallia and instituted the feudal system, making all the various tribal chieftains dukes and counts under him and drawing up official boundaries in a (failed) attempt to end infighting.
Over the next few centuries, the kingdom would expand, taking in more and more tribal chieftains, and, later, counts or dukes, through a combination of diplomacy and conquest.
Territories
The Kingdom of Gallia encompasses the Royal Demesne of Neustria, the Duchy of Oquitaine, the Duchy of Brettoni, the Duchy of Toulosé, the Duchy of Plantage, the Barony of Rème, the Duchy of Vascon, the County of Blois, the Duchy of Bourgognie, the Duchy of Amiénois, and the Duchy of Bullvin.
Military
Gallia has no official military. It is the responsibility of each lord to provide a number of knights to the king's service, as befits the title the lord holds, and each knight (with land) was expected to provide 10 to 20 leveed soldiers, with a varying degree of veterancy. However, a lord would always have a small standing army on top of this, to serve as town guards or a castle garrison. This would amount to 100 troops for most cities, 200 for duchy or county capitals and about 30 soldiers for a large castle. Smaller castles would usually have 15 or twenty. However, these garrisons would rarely be removed from their particular location, since they are the basic standing defence force, and removing them would leave such positions vulnerable.
The only true standing army is the Crown's Spears, a set of Paladins sworn into the service of the crown and serving as elite troops and personal bodyguards, as well as agents of the crown's will.
Religion
While no religion is forbidden, followers of the New Faith, rather than followers of the Gallian interpretation of Aelystrin, are viewed with suspicion. The dominant religion is the following of the Gallo-pyreones Pantheon, though calling it a state religion could suggest an element of state control which is not, in fact, present.
Foreign Relations
Gallia is on readonably good footing with regards to foreign relations. The have a cordial relationship with Curith, a long-standing trade deal with Pyreon and a more temporary one with Thalir, and its traders are spread throughout almost all lands. It also has a firm friendship with the Dwarves of Clan Briztok.
Its only definitively rocky relationships are with the Empire of Ilwyer, which fears a Gallian attack like those of the old Kingdom of Ilwyer's early days and which Gallians fear seek to reconquer them, and the Barbari, who eternally raid the kinhdom's northern border and have begun settling the territories south of the border.
Agriculture & Industry
Gallia is famous for its wine production, found in Bullvin, Oquitaine, Vascon, Toulosé, Bourgognie and the county of Blois.
Small herds of cattle are prevalent in Brettoni, Frontière and Oquitaine. They are used for both beef and dairy.
The growing of wheat and other cereal crops is common throughout the kingdom. Vegetables and fruit are also common.
Forestry is also a common industry, though this is rather more dangerous, making it thoroughly unused.
Some fishing is done in Brettoni.
Iron ore is also commonly mined.
Trade & Transport
The most notable imports are spices and silk, bought from Ruuhinan merchants who dock in Toulosé, thick furs, obtained from the occasional Barbari trader from across the mountain passes north of Frontière, and the sturdy plate armour of the Dwarves, though this isn't bought in bulk, and is usually commissioned from Dwarven armourers in their clan holdings, though occasionally Dwarven armourers venture out and set up a business in Gallia. They also import silver and reasonable quantities of some metals, mostly from the Dwarves.
By far Gallia's most famous export is wine of various descriptions, though they do export some iron ore and a little agricultural produce.
Infrastructure
Gallia has reasonably good infrastructure, with the old Elven roads, walls, bridges and sewage systems mostly being well maintained. Most towns have a castle, even if it may be small, and castles of various sizes hold other areas of strategic significance. By far the greatest density of castles is in Toulosé, on the coast, since hypothetical Elven attacks are more likely to land their than travel over the mountains. There are also many castles in the Lois Valley, on the northern border of the duchy of Oquitaine.
Founding Date
10213
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
The Land of the Gauls
Demonym
Gallic/Gallian
Leader Title
Founders
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Gallian Crowns
Major Exports
Various wines, some iron ore, very little agricultural produce.
Major Imports
Silk & spices, thick furs, Dwarven armour, silver and some other metals.
Legislative Body
The Crown's Ministers
Judicial Body
The Court of Thunder
Executive Body
The Crown
Official State Religion
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Tense
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