[hider=Kingdom of Negotia] [h1][u][b][color=fff200]The Kingdom of Negotia[/color][/b][/u][/h1] [b][color=fff200]Location:[/color][/b] Negotia is located in the southern most plains and spans a large portion of the southern coast. The heart of Negotia is Castle Mercator, where the Royal Mercator family has ruled over it's holdings for almost two hundred years. Castle Mercator is situated just a few miles north of the southern-most tip of the coast, where the old capital once stood. The previous capital, also ruled by the Mercator Royal Family, was razed two hundred years ago and has since been built over as part of the new capital city of Mercator. It's many port cities line the coast and also span a modest region of the plains north of the coast. [b][color=fff200]Society:[/color][/b] [list] [*][b][color=f7941d]Royal Family[/color][/b] According to the Royal Archives the Mercator Royal House is as old as the kingdom itself, although records only date back a thousand years or so. Most common peoples never set eyes on the King himself more than a few times a year but the Queen is well known publicly and is considered the bridge between Nobility and the Common Folk. King Oren Mercator III (age 36) is known by his court and the rest of the nobility to be studious, intelligent, fair-minded, and well versed in the art of negotiation and trade. To the Common Folk, King Oren is considered to be just and fair with taxes despite the complex restrictions on trade in the Kingdom. Queen Sorena Mercator I (age 30) is often referred to as 'the voice of the King' since she is most commonly the one making speeches and declarations to the public. Although Queens traditionally don't have any responsibilities beyond birthing children and tending to the King's mental health Queen Senora has made it her mission to deepen relations between Nobility and the Common Folk. The rest of the Royal Family consists of Lord-Commander Qwen Mercator (age 32, younger brother to King Oren and Commander of the Royal Army), Prince Garth Mercator (Age 18, Heir to the throne), Princess Senora Mercator II (age 16), Princess Lamia Mercator (age 15, twin), and Princess Doria (age 15, twin) [*][b][color=f7941d]Noble Houses[/color][/b] Of the many Noble Houses the most notable ones are the House of Dakor, the House of Karakum, the House of Lomadia, the House of Littlewood, and the House of Honeydew. [list] [*][u][color=f26522]The House of Dakor[/color][/u]: Ingmar Dakor II is the head of this house and minister of finance. Their family is well known as merchants. [*][u][color=f26522]The House of Karakum[/color][/u]: Kublai Karakum I is head of this house and minister of foreign affairs. Their family is well known as diplomats. [*][u][color=f26522]The House of Lomadia[/color][/u]: Hansen Lomadia IV is head of this house and chief advisor to the King. Their family is well known for their judges and scribes of law. [*][u][color=f26522]The house of Littlewood[/color][/u]: Martin Littlewood III is head of this house and Lord-Commander of the Royal navy. Their family is well known for producing some of the best sailors in the Kingdom. [*][u][color=f26522]The house of Honeydew[/color][/u]: Simon Honeydew I is head of this house and minister of domestic affairs. Their family is mostly known for producing exceptional smiths and jewlers. [/list] [*][b][color=f7941d]The Common Folk[/color][/b] Commoners are, of course, the largest part of the population and mostly respect the Nobility. Laws in Negotia support the freedom of citizens to work and live how they see fit as well as providing immigrants equal rights so long as they register through proper channels. In fact, Negotia encourages the intermingling of different cultures and customs which has led to it's people becoming diverse and accepting of new ideas. As such most Negotians are considered to be friendly and hospitable to outsiders. [*][b][color=f7941d]Internal Society[/color][/b] Negotia is considered a hub for trade and therefore comes into contact with many different cultures but the customs of it's native people are held with pride. In Negotian culture it is considered dishonorable to hinder others based on their beliefs and certain laws forbid businesses from discriminating against other cultures. Trade supports the majority of the Kingdoms finace and so it is heavily regulated to resist against greed and exploitation. The Kingdom's reliance on trade has led to Merchants becoming a pseudo-middle class, not quite nobility but more influential than the common craftsman or farmer. Despite this, Merchants do not possess any rights above that of a common citizen. Being on the coast has led to a lot of trade being done via merchantile ships as it is generally safer and more efficient to transport goods, not to mention much less of a logistical hassle. [*][b][color=f7941d]External Society[/color][/b] Generally Negotia is seen as a peaceful trading Kingdom with many goods ranging from medicinal herbs which only grow in warmer climates, to fish,many hand crafted clothings, and armour. The Kingdom of Negotia strives for good relations with all it's neighbors, regarding diplomacy and merchantilism as highly valuable skills. It's Navy is one of the largest, if not the largest in the known world, although mostly consisting of merchant ships and escorts. Many people migrate from other Kingdoms in order to work and live here mostly because of the flexibility of it's laws and equal representation of citizens among the common people. [/list] [b][color=fff200]Unique Notes:[/color][/b] The [u][color=f26522]Guild of Commerce[/color][/u] is an orginization for the protection and regulation of privately owned trade companies. No merchant operates without formal written consent from the Guild of Commerce. The Guild is technically a branch of the Ministry of Finance, although in practice is as much an activist group as it is a trade authority and works closely with the Ministry to keep their regulations as fair as possible. Although the Guild of Commerce is widely respected for it's fairness there are still those who refuse to abide by the law of the land. Smuggling is a serious offense as well as piracy and conducting unsanctioned trade between businesses. The death penalty is rarely issued for anything other than treason but smugglers and pirates are easily given sentences of five years or more. [b][color=fff200]Other:[/color][/b] I'm sure I'll add things here later. :P [/hider] Here is what I have so far on the Kingdom itself which I thought I should do first since it will influence how my character sees the world. As a heads up to everyone else the Kindom of Negotia will be heavily supported by trade and so a lot of other Kingdoms will be familiar with them.