House Name: House Swiftwave
Head of House: Viceroy (High Count) Ryan Swiftwave
House Specialty: Naval Combat and Naval Shipbuilding
House Ancestral Artifact: The Staff of House Swiftwave – An ancient, yet beautiful wood and iron staff as old as the house itself. Atop is fixed an azure and white gem, that looks like the crashing waves of the ocean itself. The gem glows brightly, as though it were bestowed upon House Swiftwave by the God themselves. It is said this staff imbues it's chosen users with mastery over the sea, with the ability to calm the waters of the endless tides, or to call great storms upon the foes of House Swiftwave. Only one Swiftwave may lay claim upon this herald artifact at any given time, and only those who are truly worthy, are able to wield it. Darker tales speak of the need for blood to power such a boon, making it both a blessing, and a curse. (Currently wielded by Ryan Swiftwave.)
Important Members:Viceroy Ryan Swiftwave – 24 years old, sole surviving son of the late Viceroy William Swiftwave.
Viceroy William Swiftwave – 58 years old (Deceased, died with the late Emperor in his ship's sinking.)
Jace Swiftwave – 36 years old (Deceased, died with the late Emperor.)
Dererr Swiftwave – 33 years old (Deceased, died with the late Emperor.)
Alessi Swiftwave – 30 years old (Deceased, died with the late Emperor.)
Kimbely Swiftwave – 27 years old (Deceased, died with the late Emperor.)
Vicereine Deana Swiftwave – 52 years old, widow of the late Viceroy William Swiftwave.
Lee Swiftwave – 54 years old, brother of late Viceroy William Swiftwave.
Nation/Realms Name: Kawachian South Ethica
Sigil: 
Flag: 
House Motto: Eternity begins and ends with the ocean’s tides.
Region/color on map: Pinkish Red
Race name: Kawachian's
Racial appearance: The men tend to stand anywhere between 5'10” to 6'5” on average, with the women ranging from 5'8” to 6'1” in height. The vast majority of the Kawachian people share either grey-green eyes, or a hue of greenish-brown eyes. Their skin color is that of toasted tan color, due to the tropical sunlight and climate. Their weight averages no more than 215 lbs for the men, and 125 lbs for the women. Their hair colors range from hues of brown to dirty blonde, with the occasional rusty reddish brown showing up.
Racial traits: Most, if not all men of Kawachi are known for their rugged seamanship, skilled sailors who ply their god given gifts upon the waves of the endless oceans of their world. They are said to know when a sea storm approaches, when to sail, and when to batten down the hatches and tide over the storm. Their skill as sailors has lead to many a man of Kawachi to strike out and join as crewmen on not only their own ships, but those of neighboring realms as well.
Capital: The City of Point Break
Capital Population: 66,000 roughly.
Other Major Settlements: City of Kongo – Seat of House Greenmane, currently ruled by Lord Beren Greenmane. 26,000 people.
City of Musashi – Seat of House Demetria, ruled by Lady Sally Demetria. 23,000 people.
City of Fuso – Seat of House Abbendis, ruled by Lord Alan Abbendis. 19,500 people.
City of Mikasa – Seat of House Marjhan, ruled by Lady Sabine Marjhan. 25,000 people.
City of Izumo – Seat of House Tolgraine, ruled by Lord Darrion Tolgraine. 22,500 people.
Population: 673,000
Culture: Kawachian South Ethica is best described as a seafaring and agrarian people. Their lives are devoted to the sea and tending to their crops. They praise feats of seamanship, and lavish farmers who grow bountiful crops that help feed the people. Men are looked at as the providers, the laborers and the defenders. They work the fields, defend the coasts, fish the oceans, and build the cities and houses. And yet, they have the easy task, so to speak.
Women, they are the true leaders behind the scenes. The manage the households, plan the crop rotations, when to plant, what to plant, where to build, what to build. They are the truly educated and gifted, for their skills in finance, economics, engineering, and so on, ensure that the sun never truly sets on Kawachi. Women are the heads of their households, working together with one another to ensure all the tasks of the home life are completed and finished to ensure peace and prosperity.
There is a saying on Kawachi, behind every great man, is a great woman. Here, men and women are equals, and use their talents in different things to work towards the singular goal of being successful, of doing what is needed to ensure continued sustainability.
Outside of the household, the people of Kawachi are very religious. They pray to Kammeth, and then to the other gods. Their folk lore is filled with tales of the Gods, coming down to Kawachi, and teaching them all that they know now. Kammeth is said to smile upon his sons and daughters of Kawachi, and that praise is due when its due, for Kammeth gave them all life and light, and his lights and life must never falter either.
Type of Government: Hereditary Monarchy, regional power residing with Viceroy Swiftwave, and all other families paying fealty to the ruling family in Point Break.
Influence and relations: The main influence that the people of Kawachi have over the realm is their ability to produce naval ships on a large scale, and at a rate that is enviable. They are known for taking orders from surrounding regions and building the ships they need, big and small, military and trade, at an affordable and quality level. They currently have standing orders for numerous ship building contracts with nearby regions, some just starting, others nearing completion.
The Vialiphate of Meletis is another story altogether. While from time to time, they have bought ships from Kawachia, their relationship is icy at best. Seen as overly zealous, hostile, and above all, heavy handed, the people of Kawachia and the Swiftwaves tread carefully when the Inquisition is near. They do as little as they can to be of help, and sometimes even impede visiting Inquisitors. Who knows how many innocent men and women have been whisked away, branded as heretics, to be cast out from their lands and homes. Blood has been spilled in the name of Kammeth, and in the name of Watatsumi, as the monks, priests/priestesses of Watatsumi have become more militarized in response to their continued harassment. House Swiftwave did what it could to stem the witch hunt, and for a while with the help of the late emperor, the Inquisition was held at bay.
Yet, not with the loss of the Emperor, and the loss of the late Viceroy, Kawachia and its people now must face the new wave of the Inquisition alone.
Military - The majority of Kawachian South Ethica's military is drafted from local levies and people who wish to serve in times of need. Levies who have already established themselves regularly train once a week, usually on a weekend, in order to keep their skills relatively decent, and to share in the camaraderie of being among friends. These training sessions usually turn into cook outs and feats of skill, where entire families come to enjoy being among friends and neighbors. Levies all know one another, and generally have a high moral based off of being drawn from close knit communities and continued practice with one another.
The standing military of Kawachi perhaps numbers no more than 5,500, with many of these men working rotations, so that only half are in the field at any given time. The ocean is a natural barrier to any would be enemies, and why waste precious financial reserves to have men who could be fishing and farming to stand around and look menacing. But, never consider the people of Kawachi unprepared, for at the behest of their ruler, a long chain of watch towers was constructed, and always manned. These watch towers provide a constant look out for any signs of aggression, and then light their beacons, signalling the levies, and the professional military who are not on duty.
Unit demographics: The military of Kawachi is broken down into three main pieces, the infantry, the archers, and the navy.
3,250 men - The navy is the single largest institution of the governing body of Kawachi. The comprise of sailors and marines who defend the shores of Kawachi, and her islands. The sail the oceans constantly, in both to help friendly ships to port, and to provide security to the shorelines. The navy also helps the people by fishing and providing escort to the shores.
1,250 men - The army, which is mainly comprised of lightly armored swordsmen, who wield a two handed sword meant for war, and war alone. Levies tend to be equipped with either swords, or spears, though generally spears as they are cheaper to produce and maintain. The army also helps tend to crops around their garrisons to provide food for themselves and the people around them.
1,000 men - The last piece of the puzzle, the archery corps. These men practice daily with their weapons, honing their skills to ensure that the home islands are never invaded. The archers ply their skills as hunters and showmen, providing a dual benefit to the people of Kawachi, security, and food/entertainment.
Landscape: A very tropical region, akin to Vietnam or Burma. Volcanic mountains long since dormant created a fertile region where growing crops is easy and a mainstay, though the climate precludes large crops of wheat and barley, which has the majority of crops being devoted towards rice, and other crops that can grow easily in the tropical climate. Numerous trees and forests dominate the islands, leading to the dominant industry of lumber and shipbuilding.
Wildlife: Like any other tropical region, bugs, bugs, and more bugs. Lots of birds, reptiles, large tigers, and oxen. Tropical forests, wavy grasslands, and jungles, along with dormant volcanic mountains.
Economy: The economy of Kawachi falls in the middle. There are those who are rich, like the noble families, and those that are extremely poor, criminals and beggars, and then the majority, who fall in the middle. Lucrative shipbuilding contracts help fund much of the region, while fishing, salt, and sugar exports also help keep the region relatively well off. Kawachian South Ethica retains enough wealth to live comfortably, but not in an excess to where they can afford massive standing armies, the newest fashions, and so on.
Religion: Kammeth is the Sun God, and warms the world. He is the primary god of Kawachi, with two others falling below him in importance. The first, is Kammeth's son, the Sea God Watatsumi. Depicted as a dragon, his temples dominate the coastlines of Kawachi, often being prayed to before a ship sets sail, the sailors very superstitious folk. These temples to Watatsumi house the wares of thousands of ocean voyages, gifts given up to the Dragon of the Seas, as tribute, and to stay his fierce desire to have have sailors for his vast undersea fleet. A darker cult, known as the Sea Dragons, believe that it is Watatsumi who is the one true rightful god to rule the Sky Pantheon. Thankfully, their sect is isolated only on the southern most island of Kawachi, known aptly as Furutaka, the large mountain that rises from the sea. Their temples dot the Southern coasts, with their largest and greatest built into the mountainside, grander and greater than any other temple on that islands.
The third god, or rather goddesses that are worshiped in Kawachi are the three sisters, daughters of Kammeth, known as Kim-Rae-Ali, the three sisters of the mountains. These goddesses are worshipped by farmers, hunters, and woodsmen, with their temples built into the mountains of Kawachi, and its outlying islands. The three goddesses are well regarded upon the islands, and tales of their beauty are traded among many a man and woman alike. Depicted within the temples as three loving sisters, they stand next to each other, holding hands and smiling, looking down at those who come to pray before them. Kammeth is usually painted onto the ceiling of these temples, looking down at his daughters with pride, and at his own loyal subjects as well.
Kammeth is paramount of all gods, but in Kawachi, he has only two temples, each larger than any of the other temples in all of Kawachi, excluding the Sea Dragon's monastery redoubt built in Furutaka. The temples of East and West, to mark the rise, and setting of the sun, built on opposite ends of the Kawachian realm, herald Kammeth and all his glory. The sun rises, and falls with Kammeth, and with him, the world awakens, and slumbers.
Secretly, last of all, is Ryan Swiftwave, who is a secret follower of Watatsumi and his cult of the Sea Dragon. He has never told anyone, nor plans on doing so. His private quarters hold a small shrine, a beautifully crafted dragon that he prays to and lights incense for, when he feels the need to.
History: WIP
Strengths: Archers – If the enemy can never land on our shores, what need do we have of infantry? Kawachian's pride themselves on archery, using their skills in it to defend their ships and lands from any enemy who would dare attack them. Their bows are built from two types of wood, domestically grown Kuma wood, which grows in the mountains of Kawachi, and when there is spare wood, Webwood tree wood.
Naval experience – The sea is the lively hood of Kawachi. Why turn your back upon it when you can use such a great gift to your advantage? Kawachian sailors have an almost innate ability to tell the weather, when to sail, and when to put in. They have rudders that have mapped vast portions of the oceans and coasts of Ethica, all of which are fiercely guarded to the death.
Warships – With all their focus on the sea, they people of Kawachi have crafted some of the finest war vessels of the realm. These ships are used primarily by the Imperial navy, and themselves, for these war ships are closely guarded, and scarcely, if ever, sold to anyone else. A fine vessel that is a cut above everyone else, or at least in the eyes of the Kawachians.
Weaknesses: Terrible Calvary – Kawachian South Ethica posses little to no true calvalry units, most if not all being only used as very light scouting units and dispatch runners. Horses are very scarce among the Southern Islands, only owned by nobility, and by Imperial Units.
No Heavy Infantry – Due to a lack of large reserves of mineral deposits to create Steel, let alone Iron is sufficient quantities, the military forces of Kawachi are almost completely devoid of any heavy infantry, save for the ceremonial guard unit stationed in the regional capital.
Shields... ha, we laugh at those things – The people of Kawachi never really developed the usage of shields, seeing it as a useless weight to hinder a man on the battlefield, and create the image of a coward who hides behind objects from his foe. The entire standing and levy military of Kawachian South Ethica is devoid of shield bearing units, preferring to use two handed weapons, duel wielding, or bow and arrow.
Export: Ships – With the largest naval ports and shipbuilding yards in the realm, the pride and joy, along with the bread and butter of Kawachi, is the production and sale of seagoing vessels.
Sugar Cane – With a wonderful tropical climate, sugar is easy to produce and on a large scale. It would seem the rest of the realm likes sweet things.
Rice – A major foodstuff crop, the excess is exported to support the realm and feed those who need the extra sustenance.
Fish – With large ports come large fishing fleets, and the need to feed not only themselves, but to help out the Empire as a whole.
Salt – Well, you are surrounded by ocean on all sides, and salt is needed to preserve food, make it taste good, and so on. So, you collect, and sell it to the folks to the North of Kawachi.
Import: Iron – As of now, iron is a hard item to come by in truly large quantities. This leads to the reason of Kawachi not having heavy infantry, heavy armor, shields, and so on. Iron is highly valued, though one day perhaps an iron mine of sufficient quantity will be discovered.
Wheat – Due to the hard nature of tropical climates, wheat is harder to grow in a sufficient number to create bread from the people of Kawachi. As such, wheat is imported, or its processed form, for food supplementation.
Horses – Horse are not naturally native to Kawachi. As such, they are imported from the mainland, but not for military use, but rather agrarian usages, and civil engineering.
Webwood lumber – Something is magical about this wood, its amazing to say the least. It is used in the largest of naval vessels, providing a large boost to the ships overall strength. Very costly, but well worth it for anyone who ply's the deep waters of the world.
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agentmanatee
