Nation of Ravosa
The tropical nation of Ravosa lies on the eastern side of the Sea of Fallen Stars and is connected to the blinding sands of the Windswept Wastes via land bridge, which follows the path of the mountain range known as the Vishaal. The Vishaal mountains run up the cost of the nation sloping towards the sea and into the thick trees of the Zahar jungles. The smaller nation of Ravosa has chosen to remain separate apart from nearby larger empires and currently holds no formal alliances. Although smaller, the nation thrives economically by having many luxury resources and opening multiple trade routes between neighboring nations. By remaining an independent party, Ravosa is neutral in most political strife abroad. Years ago when the elves marched on Corwynth , King Erdric Kevan called for the aid of the people of Ravosa. Through great loss and cost to the country, the armies of Ravosa pushed back the elven alliance. Although much time has passed the citizens still feel some of the lingering effects of war over 300 years later.
Structure
Ravosa stands as a merchant republic. The working population are divided into guilds based upon their occupations. The guilds are run independently from one another by a representative, known as the Guild Master, voted on and chosen by members of their respective guild. Each Guild Master meets in Paraanor twice annually to vote on policies the effect all the guilds, each having an equal share of the voting power. Every city in the nation has guild representatives appointed by the Guild Masters and these representatives oversee the daily operation of their city's guilds.
History
Ravosa was a land of abundant resources. The nation was built on trade to supplement the non-abundant farmland, which allowed Ravosa to grow far beyond what the geography would normally allow. Some merchants grew to levels of wealth far beyond the common man and began to see themselves as rulers. These merchant lords fought for wealth, power and territory; and over time Ravosa would come to know its first Merchant King, Jakheel. Jakheel initially ruled in the best intentions for the state, with the drive to increase the production and wealth of Ravosa for the betterment of all who called it home. Over time, that drive grow to such levels that it began to oppress the will of the people; and created an age of wealth like no other, and so the nation stood unified under this banner. Merchant King Jakheel ruled for many years before his passing from an unknown illness in his sixty. His closest advisers then began to make moves, plotting against each other for who would take over the throne.
This time period was known to the people of Ravosa as the Era of Greed; sitting upon the golden throne in Myanvaru was all that mattered to the once-king's advisers. The greed of these eight advisers divided the land of Ravosa into eight separate states, all warring with each other. Finally, after years of infighting, an alliance was brokered between three of the advisers who became known as the Three Kings of Ravosa. The Three Kings united as one, succeeded in conquering the remaining five states which stood against them. Now once again a single nation ruled by three, Rakhar, one of the Three Kings, grew restless within the alliance and sought to use the people from the five conquered states as slave labor. Those slaves, he believed, would be integral in following the fallen King Jakheel's footsteps towards a new Ravosan golden age.
Over time, Rakhar would soon start to lose his mental faculties, and began talking to himself within his war room; plotting under the noses of the other kings, and going so far as to promise his slave army their freedom if they took the Golden Throne for him alone. Rakhar and his slave army were successful in removing the other kings, and thus a second king in Ravosa was crowned. King Rakhar was utterly merciless, and retracted his word; refusing to grant his slave army the freedom once promised. He would publicly maim or torture those who spoke out against him personally and hang anyone caught openly speak of revolt. Rakhar's life was extended, by some unknown means, and he lived for well over two hundred years. His mind, however, slipped farther and farther into madness with each year until eventually the oppressed people saw an opportunity to overthrow their mad king.
The slave army rose in size to such levels that those loyal to Rakhar could not stand against them, and continued their assault on the temple city of Myanvaru, forcing their way into the Golden Throne room itself. Once inside Rakhar's sanctum they find only the old maddened king without advisers or servants atop his throne speaking incoherently to himself. There he was left, and sealed within the palace to die.
A group of resistance fighters would aided many of the slave citizens, by smuggling them out from Ravosa in previous years, met in Catasa, a small settlement in the mountains meant to be hidden from Rakhar's eye. They formed the Republic of Ravosa, liberated the remaining slaves, and decreed that the Golden Throne would remain sealed and the capital of the nation moved to Paraanor. The guilds were then reformed, and the Republic of Ravosa began to prosper once more.
Military
Ravosa does not possess a large standing military, instead choosing to employ the use of entire mercenary companies. Its navy, however, is unmatched in strength and skill.
Trade & Transport
Most trade within Ravosa takes place over land routes, between the eight states of the nation. A large amount of sea trade is also conducted between the nations of Ironbank, Harrenfal, and with the smaller, more remote city state of Galescar and its neighbors.
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