Morrdovach

Terrain & Geography

Morrdovach is bordered in the south by the sea and to the west a range of low mountains that separate it from the Bahstwood. Morrdovach is the largest of the "civilized" northern Kingdoms, barring Kierastahd, which is largely untamed wilderness.

Cities & Landmarks

Like most city-states on the northern continent, the entire region is called after the name of its capital city.
The capital of Morrdovach is a squat, heavily-fortified city that rests on a hill overlooking the sea. Its buildings are constructed of mortared stone overlayed in painted plaster, topped with tiled rooves in vibrant blue and orange.
There are many large towns (bordering on small cities) in Morrdovach. The largest of these is Vianert, which was rising as own city-state several generations ago, until King Orto created the Morrdovachian Army and conqered it.

Weather & Climate

Morrdovach is a hot climate with comfortable winters punctuated by brutal hurricanes. Large stone pillars are often erected in inlets along the coastline near civilized areas to help prevent them from being washed away by tidal waves.

Resources

Morrdovach boasts an exceptional coastline, though the waters of The Shattered Sea are treacherous. In addition to fishing, coastal residents create stone barriers to protect them from Channel Hunters while they dive to harvest crustaceans from the sea bed. Pearls and some precious sea-gems are harvested in this way.

Agriculture

In addition to impressive groves of fruiting vines and trees, Morrdovach grows a variety of heat-tolerant vegetables, as well as many herbs that will not grow further north. A portion of every harvest is sent to the capital to help feed and fund the army, a price most willingly pay to ensure their sons have enough to eat.

Hunting & Wild Game

While Morrdovach is not a particularly heavily-forested, there are many ground birds which are good to eat, and whose feathers can be sold or exported.

Culture

Morrdovach has a very militaristic society. Every man, regardless of ability, is conscripted into the King's army and is expected to serve for twenty years. Those who shirk this duty are publicly executed, and their families live in disgrace. Families of known Drifters who escape both service and execution are generally expected to turn over their son in the name of justice; those who do not are shunned to the point of having to move, as they struggle to purchase even basic necessities from their neighbours.

Societal Structure

Aside from the King, soldiers are considered the most prestigious members of society. All others, from skilled tradesmen to landless farmer, serve the needs of the king's army. All of a soldier's needs are provided for by the crown, and their families are sent a modest stipend while their son is in service.

Gender Roles

Morrdovach is a strongly male-dominated society, given the lauded position those currently serving the King are given. However, because their men spend the primes of their lives in the military, women fulfill the majority of other skilled roles within Morrdovachian society. From blacksmiths to book-keepers, from tailors to tavern-keepers, women run all of Morrdovach, save the military.
Men who have finished their service and returned home generally work to assist their wives, not having the experience necessary to manage skilled work or run a business themselves.

Slavery & Prostitution

While outsiders may argue that Morrdovachian boys are slaves to the King for the duration of their conscription, true slavery is illegal in Morrdovach. Even prisoners of war are ransomed back to their homelands or passed on to their enemies, whichever offers the bigger price.
Prostitution in Morrdovach is wide-spread and encouraged, particularly in the capital, where a large concentration of frustrated men might otherwise cause trouble. Despite the illegality of slavery, it's widely-known that some of the less reputable houses import women from around the world against their will in order to satisfy the baser needs of some of their clientelle.

Faith

Religion is not a part of daily life in Morrdovach. While faith may be practiced privately within the household, gods, spirits, and other unknowns are generally considered superstitious nonsense. By and large, Morrdovachians do not believe in anything they can't cut down with a sword.

Military & Defense

Morrdovach has the largest standing army on the northern continent, due to the Morrdovachian practice of conscripting adolescent boys into military service for the first twenty years of their life. At the end of their service, most men leave the King's service to marry and participate in family businesses left behind, generally as apprentices to their wives or mothers.
Morrdovachians consider themselves the first, last, and only defense against bands of raiders from Ajima and the southern continent, and firmly believe that without them, all other kingdoms in the north would fall. This belief is not widely-shared by other city-states, who have little concept regarding the frequency and scale of these attacks.

Trade

While Morrdovach has an official currency, it's significantly less table than the Thal used in Sarnja. Each new Morrdovachian King tends to prefer to see his own face minted on whatever coin is used, and preference in metal varies. Any time a King dies and a new one is crowned, the old currency becomes obsolete. Fortunes are made and lost with the death of Morrdovachian royals.

National Trade

Trade within Morrdovach is extremely localized, with each region subsisting largely on whatever is most prevalently cultivated or harvested in their immediate area. What little national trade exists is routed through the capital.

International Trade

Morrdovach posseses the largest seaworthy fleet of any kingdom on the Northern continent, and they use these vessels largely for trade. Fruit and vegetables are sailed around the coast to Kierastahd. Feathers and quills are imported from The Shattered Isles, while beads are imported from kingdoms in the southern continents – both are then carted to Sarnja. Salt is distributed from Urkuma to the rest of the world, and Goakehn stock are imported from Ajima to use in the Morrdovachian military machine or to trade to other nations in exchange for goods.
Illicit goods, too, are traded under cover of night, making up for the profits ship-owners lose on taxes.

Alliances & Rivalries

Morrdovach has no formal alliances, though that is not for lack of effort. Considered brutish by their neighbours, most attempts at forming marital ties are snubbed. Morrdovachian Princes and Kings are often forced to marry commoners from among their own people; they tend to select daughters of those who have demonstrated exemplary military performance.

Regional History

Morrdovach has a history of expansion. Many of the small cities and large towns that now make up the city-state were once independent settlements governed by their own rule. In time, as neighbouring city-states developed their own armies and could offer resistance, Morrdovachian expansionism tapered off, and they turned their military eye to external enemies.

Rulers

Morrdovach is currently ruled by King Beus, a rotund, red-headed man marked for his bristling, unkempt moustache and poor hygeine.