Welken, Country of
Welken is a large country that takes up the entire continent it rests on and a number of neighboring islands. The population is largely organized into bands, but there are some permanent settlements. Welken, like all of Werlend, bans worked metal.
Structure
The leader of the nation is the Archdruid, who is titled 'Makhti.' In 3507, the Archdruid is Makhti Derwos. Derwos oversees the Great Folkmoot in extraordinary matters. The Great Folkmoot handles matters that the city folkmoots could not, which handle matters that the town folkmoots could not, which handle matters that the Hundred Folkmoots could not, which handle matters that individual bands and homesteads could not.
Assets
Forest wood is dense and highly resistant to flame. The island itself isn't volcanic, but a line of volcanic islands are a short canoe-trip away, and the locals of the islands trade obsidian knives for gems. Gemstones found on Welken include diamonds, sapphires, jade, chrysoprase, pearls, and most famously opals. Unique to the continent is a special kind of magically infused opal, the egni-stai, which can be used as a focus to make magic more powerful. There is rich fishing off the coast, and numerous game in the woods.
A significant percent of the population knows at least some orisons or cantrips, usually from a nature-focused tradition. Roughly 10 percent of the population have some magical training, though most are low-level. 40% of casters are druids, 30% are clerics, 10% are spontaneous divine spellcasters, 15% are spontaneous arcane spellcasters, and the remaining 5% are other classes.
There are 445,500 first level casters in the nation, 222,750 second level casters, 111,375 third level casters, 55,688 fourth level casters, 27,844 fifth level casters, 13,922 sixth level casters, 6,961 seventh level casters, 3,481 eighth level casters, 1,740 ninth level casters, 870 tenth level casters, 435 eleventh level casters, 218 twelfth level casters, 109 thirteenth level casters, 54 fourteenth level casters, 27 fifteenth level casters, 18 sixteenth level casters, 12 seventeenth level casters (four druids), 9 eighteenth level casters (three druids), 5 nineteenth level casters (two druids), and 3 twentieth level casters (two druids).
Half of bands have a low level ranger (one sixth multiple), two thirds have a low level druid (one third multiple), half have a low level cleric (one sixth multiple), one in twenty have a medium-level druid, one fourth have a low level spontaneous arcane spellcaster, one fourth have a low-level spontaneous divine spellcaster. Only 4.4% of bands have no spellcasters whatsoever. 1% of bands have a cleric, a ranger, a druid, a spontaneous divine spellcaster, and a spontaneous arcane spellcaster. (The average band is twenty to fifty people, averaging around thirty five).
Demography and Population
Population of 8.99 million (8.91 million on the main continent, 80 thousand on the islands), mostly consisting of fey and Albiz (primarily Hulni and Grasan), with some immigrant humans and others, and a small population of mixed race individuals.
The mainland of Welken has four cities (Glimwidu, Herutazhul, Faerrin, Medwo) and ten towns, with most of the rest in small villages (average 100 people), isolated homesteads (average 20 people), or nomadic bands (average 35 people). 4.725 million people live in cities, towns, villages, or homesteads on the mainland; 4,588,440 of those live in villages or homesteads. 4.185 million are in around 120,000 nomadic bands on the mainland. There are 22,942 villages and 114,710 isolated homesteads (average two isolated homesteads per village) on the mainland. Over half of the population is either in nomadic bands or on individual homesteads, and the population of settlements fluctuates dramatically with the seasons, with a number of temporary towns popping up in the winter.
Of the 80,000 in the islands, there are two towns with 1,240 and 1,100 people, with most of the rest in small villages of only 75 people. There are fewer nomadic bands on the islands.
The country has a low infant mortality rate and a lower maternal mortality rate, due in large part to the high number of divine spellcasters. The population is largely stable, with a fertility rate of a bit over 2.1 - low birth rates and low death rates. (Many of those capable don't have children, so the average number of children per family with kids is a bit over three).
The towns are, from largest to smallest, Slohaff (a port town), Grimmhurn (a mountain town), Hultupp (a town half in a cave system), Gronjawat (river town), Deupamiuz (a swamp town), Khrima (a town above the frost line), Medraiki (a town by a lake), Aimahulni (a town in the foothills that was once barely spared by a huge fire), Staidalan (a valley mining town that sources egni-stai), and Ademe (a diamond town). The two island towns are Alweid (a town up on the mountain overlooking a bay) and Gaisskal (a fishing/port town).
Territories
The continent of Welken (2.97 million square miles) along with a number of outlying islands.
Military
Welken's military is powerful for its population size and technology level, due to the many magic users - primarily druids and other nature-oriented casters - who're able to use the egni-stai gems to improve their casting. Welken has often been the target of enemies after its native resources, including rumors of precious metals beneath its mountains, but has never been successfully invaded.
Religion
The people of Welken worship nature spirits, with very few overarching named gods. No one takes a main patron deity, instead paying homage to all the gods and spirits that affect their lives or locations. The spirits of forests and rivers are held in especially high reverence.
Foreign Relations
The country of Blac-freus, often called the Winter Court of the fey, exists to the south. Relations with the Winter Court are terse.
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
Theudlandom
Demonym
Theudaz
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Power Structure
Dependent territory
Economic System
Barter system
Currency
Welken lacks minted coins, but amber and small gemstones are frequently used for valuable trade, and the merchants in the big cities accept non-metallic coins from other cities in the portal network. Metallic coins must be exchanged for gemstones or other non-metallic currency before entering Welken.
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments