Nations Name: Lydiah (lid-ee-ah)

Flag:[img=http://i59.tinypic.com/1jx6aq.jpg]

Form of Government: Grand Duchy (Monarchy)

Describe the System: The title of Grand Duke/Duchess in hereditary, meaning only one family, the House of Quachel, holds the power. They are, however, known to be generally benevolent rulers, and usually consult their advisers upon important matters. These advisers are the Thanes, essentially the Earls of the different (small) provinces in Lydiah. They are supposed to represent the people, bring their concerns and ideas to the Duke/Duchess, and control the armed forces of their particular province (I will decide the name, number and rulers of each province once I am assigned some territory).

Location on Map Desired: WIP, preferably a long, thin coastal region with a few offshore islands - Lydiah is a nation built on sea trade. Preferably backed onto mountains like Chile and Norway. Quite small please (I want to be inconspicuous!!!)

Capital: Kythian (kith-ee-an), large, coastal trading town. Preferably in a cove/bay area.

Important Settlements: Torein (tor-ine) - centre of Lydiah's military land forces, Yahlyn (yar-len) - centre of Lydiah's naval power, Rahla (raa-la) - centre wood and timber production, Venyah, centre of mining and stoneworking, Kythian - centre of Lydiah's trade.

Description: Cities tend to be bustling, busy places. Trade and construction/manufacturing areas tend to be well away from residential and governmental areas. Beauty is admired and sought after - the architecture of most of Lydiah's settlements is flowing and often features a tinge of blue, reflecting the nation's general love of the sea. Silver and sapphires are valued highly among Lydiahns - simple decorations of a single sapphire encircles in silver are commonplace in the wealthier districts of most towns/cities.

Lydiahns generally love and admire the natural world. The nations grew up from a culture that worked to preserve nature, and held all natural things with great reverence. This has not vanished as the world progresses, but trees that were once beloved reminders of an older world are beginning to be loped for their wood in order to construct new and better ships. The southern region is particularly beautiful (as it had previously escaped the greater demand for resources in the north as trade grew and became a major industry), especially the internationally recognised region of Seven Rivers (Sju alv, in Lydiahn).

The Lydiahn currency is the crescent. These are made of silver, and have the likeness of the Duke/Duchess on one side, and the crescent moon on the other. A coin of less value is the lion, which corresponds to roughly half a crescent. 

For this RP, I will use Swedish as the Lydiahn language (obviously not through the whole thing, English I'm assuming is the 'common speech' of Edoniras.)

Important Characters: Duke Elvahn (elv-an), ruler of Lydiah, Duchess Kathlihn (cath-lin), his wife, Prince Jormuhno (jor-moon-oh) the heir. Thanes will be named once I work out how many provinces I can fit into my territory (probably no more than 5)

Traits: 

Small Army:Your nation maintains a relatively small number of troops, when fielded in battle against another nation your forces are almost always outnumbered. +2

Outdated Army: Your men carry weapons not even your grandfather remembers, muskets misfire more than usual and your training deals with tactics not used in many years. +2 (as a long, narrow nation backed onto mountains (please), the need for a land army is not very high.)

King of the Seas: Your nation has a glorious Maritime history and a navy that matches, many grand ships fill your docks and sailors are viewed as hero’s in the eye of the public. -3

New Age Ship Construction: New ways of shaping the wood and newly discovered types of wood has led to advances in how ships perform. However these come at a cost, making ships more expensive than usual. +/-0

Trading Hub: Your country is a nation of traders and merchants, many coins pass through the fingers of your citizens every day, especially through your own after taxes. -3

Army: 
5,000 Regulars
22,000 Recruits

Navy:
7 Frigates
12 Barques
15 Brigs
10 Galleys

GDP: 73,000,000,000 ($)

Stability: Stable