The Commonwealth of Bergenshia
The Proud Children of Stone
Structure
The Council of the Land is made up of a collection of leaders from the fiefdoms and duchies, known as Cantons, where they each vote and weigh in on matters. The Canton leaders are expected to handle the management of their own territory, and each has their collections of senators and advisers to assist them in ruling the land.
Culture
Hailing from a beautiful mountain island, the Bergenshian people are a diverse and rich people. Their original tribe actually had a long history with the tribes that would make up both Neundorf and Vebastonne, leading the Bergenshian people to be both familiar and yet distinctly unique from these two nations. They have a penitent for mercenary work like their Neundorf cousins, as some Bergenshians want to explore the land selling their services as sellswords, and also a proud fondness of their ancestry like the Vestoni. The people have gone through many diverse changes in history, becoming largely believers in the Flame in the year 1235EC, and yet they still maintain a vast collection of old folk tales and beliefs. This is cause their land is a land enchanted by fey energies, similar to Red Ravens Rock. In truth, every Canton is unique in some way, and the people are proud of this fact.
The people of Bergenshian are a culture of enjoying the moment one lives in. Dance and song are quite common amongst the people, and considered a favored past time. It is said that the sound of music can be heard upon the wind of even the highest mountains. Art and trade are also big in the island of Bergenshia, with the island being a central point of trade and convenient meeting point for Nilushian merchants and the island of Iadith. This has also led to the Bergenshian people to pick up many cultural quirks and ideals from many lands.
However, one should not think the Bergenshian people as soft, for they are also proud warriors. While many Bergenshian people are not particularly war hungry like many of the other nations, they have a long military history. Unlike other nations who believe in a sort of "romantic" or "orderly" war with duels of honor and civility, the Bergenshian people have no such qualms. War is simply something that should be finished as quickly and efficiently as possible. Some have decried them as cowards, but they are some of the most bravest and elite warriors in the lands. So great is there prowess that many guards of the Papacy in the Church of the Flame are made up of elite Bergenshian Halbrideiers. This has earned them the reputation of being "sleeping giants", peaceful at first but ready to unleash a climactic display of war if threatened.
History
The beginning of the Bergenshian people is said to start within the Age of Giants. It is said that during this age where Giants stocked the world, the original tribes people that would become the Bergenshian people, at this time named the Berga Tribe, migrated to the island after a frost giant froze the great waves of the Furieux Sea. The people followed these giants to the land, for they suspected that if they were moving to the island, they could find something of worth there. They were correct, as the island of Bergenshia was home to fertile ground amongst the mountains and beautiful rivers. Unlike many other tribes across the world, the newly named Bergenshian people learned to live in harmony with the giants of the mountains. The giants helped carve the mountain passes to allow the people access to build their homes amongst the land, and there was peace for a time. It is even said that a tribe of Dwarves also moved their way to the island before the ice thawed out, and formed a small hold upon the island.
The peace lasted until it is said that imps riding upon the southern winds drove the Giants mad. They rampaged across the land, driven insane by demonic corruption. ravaging the land and its people. Mountains shook and toppled as the Bergenshian struggled to defend themselves, at least until the hero Magnus came. Magnus was said to have learned from the new "Knight" warriors of Vebastonne, and had a Dwarf make him a powerful pike and crossbow. With the crossbow he targeted the greatest giant in the island, and shot the apple tree off of his head, and then when distracted he drove the pike into its heart. With this, the other giants fled in terror, and have hid since, and thus the land was saved by Magnus of Stone.
The land would develop along with the rest of the world, eventually forming into several small divided fiefdoms and duchies. This was until a mercenary force sponsored by a Baron of Neundorf was tasked with invading in hopes to gain access to the rich mineral wealth of the island. While the Neunian knights and warriors were self assured of their superiority, they were not ready for the determination of the Bergenshian people. They would ambush and harry the invaders and form great pike formations to halt their advances. Eventually, the invaders left in shame over the utterly failure of the campaign, thus proving the warrior prowess of the Bergenshian people. However it had taken its toll, and realizing they needed to stand as one, these divided duchies and fiefdoms formed into the Commonwealth, where they all united under one flag, that of the red and white cross. Since then, the people have existed, mostly keeping to themselves and their mountain home, but also preparing for war lest they be caught off guard by anyone setting their sights on their land.
Territories
The land of Bergenshia in the Furieux Sea, nearby both Vebastonne and Neundorf. It is a mountainous region rich in mineral wealth and other rare metals and materials. The land also is said to be rich in fertile fields and the wood from the land is said to be unusually strong.
Foreign Relations
Due to being a trading nation, most other nations try to keep positive relations with them. While Bergenshia has gone to war against its neighboring nations in the past, largely this day and age the island nation simply just tries to keep to itself, as long as the trade goods keep earning them coin, they don't have a particular problem with the rest of the world. This is aside from the Deadlands, who's very nature is against the teachings of the Church and Papacy, and so they are the only nation banned by law from arriving to Bergenshian ports.
