Name: Borgarum
Flag/emblem/symbolism:
Demonym: The Brogar
Description: Once upon a time in Albion's past in a port city that history has forgotten the name of, a bunch of sailors had gathered around after a few drinks and were discussing rumors, legends and tall tales. After a time their attentions turned to the map of the known world and in order to tell stories about certain parts of the world when a young dwarf pointed towards an empty patch of ocean on the south western part of the map and asked "What's over here?"
"Nothing." Answered the other sailors. "It's just water that goes on forever."
"That's bull. There's got to be
something there... even if it is just the edge of the world!" Soon enough, bets were being taken and the young dwarf gathered together his ship, his crew and a lot of supplies before sailing out to prove that he was correct. Correct he was as he found a series of islands that no one had ever seen before with strange fruits and giant nuts that offered milk when you cracked them open. Reporting his find back to his king, the king offered him the chance to be governor of a new settlement if the young captain wished to lead the colonization efforts. He agreed and the Borgarum Isle was colonized soon afterwards.
Borgarum would remain a loyal vassal for several generations until a series of events on the mainland destroyed its parent kingdom, leaving it an independent nation. Being so far away from any major trading routes and not really having much to trade that was worth other nations sailing out, Borgarum took advantage of its greatest strength; It's naval power. Being natural born sailors and owning some of the greatest ships to sail the seas without much in the way of enemies that can actually get at them, Borgarum hires out its naval services to other nations.
Government: The kingdom of Borgarum is a feudal monarchy with its current ruler being the newly ascended King Bokdrouth Dragonbuster, however matters of succession are treated differently here then in other feudal kingdoms. In order to be eligible for a land holding title, one must prove themselves deserving of it via obtaining an acceptable rank in either the army or (more likely) the navy. If the child of a current title holding is unable to reach the acceptable rank required to take over their parents title then on succession the land title and the land connected to it will pass on to someone who does; This system is designed to weed out those people who are unfit for the task of managing land.
The King of Borgarum has to have been the head of the navy, having earned his position through years of dedicated service and management of resources. On the ascension of a king, he frees up his former position in charge of the navy so that another talented officer can fill it while the King himself rules the nation. Therefore, the head of the navy is also the heir to the throne.
Considering that both nobles and commoners start off at the bottom in both military and naval organizations, it is actually possible for a commoner to improve their social standing via competent and talented service... and for noble families to lose their noble status for incompetence.
Economy: Borgarum has a strong shipbuilding industry, producing pound for pound some of the greatest ships to ever sail the seas while the kingdom itself produces sailors worthy of crewing them. They can also export the hardwood and iron that they produce but the real gem that the nation trades in is citrus; The various fruits and foods produced by Borgarum are vital for upholding the general health of those traveling at sea, as well as for nations with more restrictive diets. Sadly Borgarum has historically been to far out of the way to really be worth trading with for the nations of Albion...
Religion: There is only one goddess for the islands of Borgarum and that is the goddess of the ocean herself, Yella. Sailors and their relatives will make small offerings at special shrines in an attempt to earn the her favor for a good trip, but they are aware of the fact that her temper can be fickle. The closest thing to a priesthood that Yella has are the old sailors; Those who have sailed the seas for so long and heard so many stories from their peers that they seem to be in tune with the waves and the wind itself.
Geography:
A tropical climate that is now largely made up of several large dwarven port cities that have grown over the years. Much of the original wilderness and plant life has long be destroyed but the more hardy and adaptable of the native plants have managed to survive and thrive around the dwarven settlements, adding a bit of natures beauty that helps enhance the appearance of the cities themselves. On the largest island of the kingdom is a large mountain and home to the iron mines while all over the lesser islands are the various orchards and fruit plantations that help to feed the population.
Population: 2,000,000 (a small population)
Demographics
Almost 98% of the population is made up of Borgarum dwarves. The remaining 2% are travelers from either Albion itself or one of the other island nations nearby that have traveled to the islands and settled to some degree.
Notable Locations
Koganusan- The capital city of Borgarum and located on the largest of the four islands. It is home to the royal palace, as well the smaller of the two naval shipyards and home to the iron mines that help fuel the nation. The city itself almost completely covers the island, with only several small orchards and a decreasing number of public spaces free of the city sprawl.
Serkeskal- Home to the second of Borgarum's two shipwards and located on the second largest of the islands of the nation, Serkeskal is much like Koganusan with the exception that it lacks the iron mines of the capital. Instead it focuses its efforts towards ship production and the training of marines and solders alike.
Dublar and Udibgoves- Located on the two smallest islands, Dublar and Udibgoves are almost completely dedicated to fruit plantations and orchards. Together they are the breadbasket of Borgarum.
Personalities of Note
King Bokdrouth Dragonbuster - Current ruler of Borgarum.
Grand Admiral Jaldrami Battlegranite - Current head of the Borgarum Navy and heir to the throne.
General Lokin Ironriver - Current head of the Borgarum Army.
Institutions:
The Ship Builders Guild
The Engineers Guild
The Civil Service
Military:
Organization: The Naval forces of Borgarum enjoy a vast degree of independence and flexibility in their command structure under most circumstances; Considering their mercenary like nature, it is often the captain of the ship that decides the command structure of their own vessel as well as what tactics and weapons they will employ, provided that they stay within bounds acceptable to the laws of Borgarum and that of their client nation. Admirals may command a group of ships at once and Captains are expected to obey what orders they are given, but the Admiral will generally not interfere with the running of a captain's ship unless said captain is doing something illegal or corrupt that requires intervention.
The military enjoys a rather basic command structure, the smallest unit being a battalion. Each regiment is normally made up of three battalions, made up of two crossbow battalions and a battalion of armored halberdiers.
For those seeking to join both the navy and the army, it is required that the purchase their starting equipment.
Troop Total: Only 2% of the population serve in both the army and the navy at this point in time.
Army: The army currently consists of around 10,000 professional solders, making up 3 regiments with support staff and cannon crews.
Navy: The navy currently has around 30,000 members who are active sailors or marines spread out over the fleet.
Other: Borgarum grade cannons are employed by the navy.
There is a special branch of the navy who is tasked with keeping an eye on the various ships sailing under the Borgarum flag in order to ensure that the captains obey the few laws that are required of them; They largely operate in secret, but they have the authority to remove a captain by any means necessary if the situation calls for it.
Other:
Naval Cannons (Strength): The Borgar dwarves took a shine to the idea of cannons shortly after the idea of gunpowder was introduced to them, but while other nations were screwing around trying to make the biggest cannon possible without really understanding how they worked, the Borgar poured a lot of time and effort into research and development in order to try and work out how to get the most out of them without them exploding. The research paid off in the end, allowing the development of the naval cannons that are loaded onto the ships of the Borgarum navy. Good range, solid hitting power and one will only explode if someone does something idiotic to it.
Strong Ships (Strength): A matter of prideful craftsmanship, the ships produced by the shipyards of Borgarum are made of fine hardwood that with a combination of fine craftsmanship and what little magic the Borgar dwarves possess are greatly enforced to withstand damage.
No Cavalry (Weakness): Borgarum has many things, but mounts are not one of them. In fact, the idea of riding a beast into battle actually makes most dwarven solders uneasy.
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