Lord Zee
Vec
Rekkuza
Iwannabeyours
princess
Cmmelody
Necrodancer
ActRaiserTheReturned
TimemasterFenea Kingdom
Location/Geography
Land number 13.It exists of s a singular island named Fenea. The lower, western half of the land is mostly plains dotted with small villages. While the warm, sandy coast offers excellent opportunity for ships. In the eastern half of the island is Ramoari Forest. The borders are often chopped and replanted. Especially in recent years. But the core of the forest is rarely visited by sentient beings. Higher up north you have the Agroa Mountains. The mountains are exceptionally high and make for a very isolated area. Just like the forest, the mountains house a myriad of mythical monsters. While in the forest those are mostly ground-bound creatures, up in the mountains one could find the winged monsters.
General Introduction
History
Government & Society
Government
The king rules supreme. His word, by the gods, are law. Defying him, be it at the banquet table or on the marketplace is punishable by death if the king chooses so. This power is not limited to him alone. If his children come of age they too wield such power. He is advised by the Scholar, the Warmaster, the Shipmaster, the Coinmaster, the Head-Inquisitor and the Grand Meister.
The Scholar is the head wizard. He is involved in all magical research, education and development. Often very old, but also incredibly powerful. The Scholar is also the head of the Order Arcanicus. He is not often seen outside the walls of his tower.
The current Scholar is Lord Adreminus. Or so he calls himself. The man is old and very fragile. He does nothing. If this is for the better or worse of his order is yet to be seen.
The Warmaster rules the small standing army. It is considered the lowest (yes still a very grand) position among those who rule. Warmasters often lead the main body of troops, raise levies when needed and make sure to suppress all unrest within the realm. The Warmaster is also in charge of the Guardians. An order compromised of the 10 greatest knights in the realm. Destined to protect the royal family. The Head-Inquisitor and the Grand Meister both often vey to destroy the order and place their own people around the king.
The current Warmaster is young prince Chardon. It’s not traditional that the second in line becomes Warmaster. Though it has happened before. Prince Chardon seems adamant to support his older brother Suran.
The Shipmaster does what you may expect of him. He governs the ports and rules the Royal Fleet. In times of peace he often fights pirates near the kingdom. Though exceptionally ambitious Shipmasters have send expedition forces around the world before. A lesser known fact is that the Shipmaster is also the head priest of the order of the Depths, which worships the Unknown One. He does not worship the death aspect of this god, but rather the sea aspect. The full capabilities of the order are still unknown. But they know what can lurk in the deep and speak of it not with a healthy dose of fear but pure and utter curiosity.
The current shipmaster is Jachason of House Urtlem. His grandfather was also shipmaster thus the young boy has a great desire to level if not become greater than him.
The coinmaster is either the weakest, or the strongest person in Fenea, depending on his colleagues. He governs trade and coin and often sends out ambassadors to neighboring countries. Weak coinmasters do just about that. Strong ones go further. They can create new economical laws, engage in foreign affairs that would boost (or dampen) trade and may even support certain rebels in foreign countries. Exceptionally good ones maintain a tight web of spies reporting all matter of events.
The current coinmaster is Salvator of House Pugan. House Pugan had never before placed a member so high. A lost rests of Salvator. So far he is not doing bad, but he lacks ambition and acts far too cautious.
The Head-Inquisitor is feared by both peasants, slaves and nobility. His power is near absolute. The Inquisition descends when the Warmaster feels that inhibition is becoming a bigger problem than it should. Though often the Head-Inquisitor acts without warning. While the Warmaster may just kill e few people, the Inquisition’s punishements start at killing and burning half a village (and all the slaves). Even if that half is not guilty at rebellion. However, what sets them apart is that they can also investigate nobility. Though those of noble blood often get a trial before they are hung. The Inquisitions more primal tasks were to root out mages who did not adhere to the Scholar. While the common people see themselves more killed, mages still fear the Inquisitors. They are often stationed at mages’ towers, academies and to the most powerful they act as bodyguards. Which is rather to make sure that the mage does nothing against the wishes of the king.
The current Head-Inquisitor is Alexandros. Like all Inquisitors he cast off his last name and house. He is an aging man, and starts to lash out erratic. Some outside the order start to think it is time he has to be replaced.
The Grand Meister is the one that deals in foreign magical affairs. In other words, during a war the Order Achenus which he commands will step in. They are witch-blades, Templars, paladins and Arcane Swords who use both cold steel and strong spells. The Grand Meister often works in close relationship with the Scholar. A breach between the two (and their orders) often mean that they are both severally weakened. There are many other suborders within the Order Achenus. But I’ll discuss those under Military.
Current Grand Meister is the middle-aged Higan of House Nimor. The fact is that Nimor often delivered strong Shipmasters, so Higan becoming Grand Meister was not only unexpected, is was unpraised. Higan vowed he would make sure to change that.
Society
There is a wide, very wide, wealth gap between the poor and the rich. Middle-class does not exist. At all. The Fenea kingdom is one ruled by magic. The King or Queen must be from Fenir line. The blood is incredibly rich in magic. Both the comprehensible and the mythical forms. Many other noble houses share the same aptitude for magic. To keep the powers strong within the families’ nobles are prohibited to ever have a child from someone who is not from a noble house. To make matters even stricter: it’s common that ungifted children, who do not possess a talent for magic, go unwed entirely. They cast an incredible shame upon their family.
Those below the nobility are virtually all peasants or workshop keepers under the command of a noble. They are by far the most numerous of the population. But have no real voice in any matter. When taxes go up, fighting such decision leads to a swift and public death. A constant itch for rebellion is common among the base people. Sometimes a village may rebel. But the nobility makes sure that they are quickly made an example of. However, the poorest do not live in such horrible conditions yet. They have a house (or what can pass for one) and most have 2 meals a day.
The lowest of the pyramid are the slaves. Fenea is not only known for its strong magic, but also for its near uncountable slaves. Slaves have nothing. They aren’t even allowed to marry by Fenea’s religion. Though most don’t care as they marry in their own culture. Slaves are the most restless of Fenea’s people. But they rebel less often than the peasants, as slave rebellion does not only hit them, but all nearby slaves. Laws are ridiculously strict against slaves too. For example, should a single slave hit his master, ever, then the master can kill the slave without trial. Fact is that some peasant masters often just kill a slave for disobedience or less. Should a slave ever dare to kill his master, then the penalty is death for every slave in the household.
Religion
The nobility believe in 5 gods: the god of work, the god of magic, the god of marriage, the god of justice and the god of death. Each in respect called: Akreal, Assira, Nimé, Lorgon and the unknown one. For death is the single most unknown thing to all people of Fenea. Most have several other aspects. The god of magic is also the god of kings. The god of marriage is also the god of harvests. And so on.
The peasants share these 5 gods. Though in silent prayers they’d often add the 6th god: the god of freedom. Which will one day unshackle them from the nobility. Stories about the 6th god often vary from town to town but there is a single constant: a prophecy claimed that a foreigner would come to the lands. He will lead a single village against their rulers and die. But in his death, he will unite the people.
Slaves, as many kind there are, have many religions. Some have lived so long that they mixed their original religion with that of their brethren. Making pseudo-religions. Officially practice is forbidden. Thus the slaves keep their worship small and often in the dark.
Demographics, minorities & population
Fenea exists primary out of humans. Though due to the slavery a myriad of other species can often be found everywhere.
((Exact percentages to be added later))
Economy & Industry
Cities & ports
The cities of Fenea are rather well developed. Even though that inside them most people are still relatively poor. All the wealth inevitably flows towards the nobility. Never the less the average population has little shortcoming within the city. Maybe some high food prices but that’s about it. As cities often lack harsh manual labor, the usual brutish slaves are far less present here. Never the less a great amount of slaves are still employed for other tasks like housekeeping and others. Pleasure houses are always to be found and always filled with the right kind of slave you desire. Most of the harder kind of work within the workshops and stores are also done by slaves. Even literate slaves can be employed here to use their gifts. The more detailed and trained ways of craftsmanship are done by free men here. All in all the economy of the cities is in good health. Though left and right some cities may have trouble with lords raising taxes a little too high.
Ports cities are far more thriving than their few inland cousins. With access to the massive sea a lot of trade is done within the harbor. And while some merchants may condemn the use of slaves, they cannot deny that their ships get unloaded exceptionally fast. However, due to some xenophobia, most sailors not native from Fenea may be advised to remain within the harbor districts. There is certainly enough to do there. All in all a lot of trade is done within the ports and harbors of Fenea. But not exceptionally much.
Cities & ports
Out in the fields Fenea paint a very different picture compared to the cities. The villages are poor, wall-less and ill maintained. A few stone roads work their way through the plains. But all by all you will mostly just see dirt ways. The fields are rather large and filled with animals and wheat. But the children of the villages look malnourished and sickly. This is due to the massive food taxes raised in a village.
Closer to the forest, the villages change from agricultural to lumber. The villages against Ramoari forest make their money by supplying the wood for the cities. They do slightly better than their agricultural cousins, but still poverity is everywhere. With the slight higher wealth most are able to have bought at least 1 strong slave. So again, here slavery is more common. Sadly, so far away from the slave markets of the cities, sometimes people in the fields have to sell themselves as slaves to come by. So even still, you see very few foreigners in these villages.
Others
So far, the only thing that has set aside Fenea from many others was probably slavery. However, Fenea has some more. A proud obsession with hunting mythical monsters. The Ramoari forest and the Agroa Mountains are brooding spots for dragons, gryphons, pegasusses, unicorns, manticores, basilisks, chimaeras and dire wolves. Obviously these monsters have some very interesting loots. If you search mythical monster objects, then Fenea is the place to be.
Furthermore, for a rather steep price, nobility can offer you their magical services. Be it for education or simply to learn a new spell. The arts of magic are well understood by the nobles. A true Fenean mage knows his craft very well. Mythical artists, like Seers, are also a little less rare than anywhere else in the world. They are still aren’t that many walking in Fenea, but more than average do live there.
Imports & Exports
Imports
- Most standard metals
- Slaves
- Exotic fruits
- Exotic vegetables
- Gems
- Expert craftsmanship
Export
- Slaves
- Magical objects
- Wheat
- Dried meat
- Fruit
- Magical services
Military Overview
Naval
Unlike the army, the naval force is far more organized. Under the singular Shipmaster. The most common naval units are galleys, though larger ‘Kingsize Galley’ can be used as a flagship for the various fleets. No fleet is under command of a single noble house. Though some houses do own several private owned ships which they may ‘loan’ to the King during times of intense naval combat. Some mages might be stationed on Kingsize Galleys. They mostly aid the navigators, though it’s been whispered among the sailors that they can summon monsters from the depths in times of great need.
As said, some ships might be in the personal possession of noble houses. These ships are never large nor in high numbers. Mostly they are used when a nobleman wants to go out and capture slaves.
Army
Order Achanus
The Order Achanus is the single largest order of Fenea. There are several kinds of suborders within the Achanus order.
The Paladins are knights who first did their initation within the Inquisition. They are often heavily armored with thick plate armor and large kite shields. Their massive hammers often appear to be glowing or even burning with pure faith. Paladins are highly immume to any kind of shamanic or dark magic. However, they are the fewest in number as they come from the Inquisition.
Witch-blades are often dressed in leather and wield a single bastard sword, aside from several elemental spells. Their skill in both swordmanship and spellcasting is average, but the combination makes for lethally fast warriors. Often used against heavy sorcerers who require a long time to cast their spells. But their expertise lay in the ability to track magical users. They are more numerous than the Paladins, but far less skilled too.
Arcane swords are Witch-blades who forsaken their duties to track down magic users in favor of fighting in the front line. Much like the Paladins they are heavily armored. But they wield a myriad of weaponry and defenses. From large square shields to two-handed swords. Arcane swords are the most common magical knight units. Though they use magic mostly to increase their already formidable melee combat skills.
Templars are the most elusive of orders. The Templars are the smallest group, whom recruit their acolytes seemingly at random from the ranks of nobility. Not much is known about them except that they pour vast amounts of money into specialized armor, and most notibily that they often ride savage winged creatures like the gryphon or the manticor. Great Templars, the only other title known from the order, ride dragons into the battlefield.
Warmaster's army
The Warmaster maintains not too small army of mostly knights and professional soldiers. They are more often tasked at maintaining the peace within the realm. By no means do these knights stand well against any of the Order Achanus. In times of great need the Warmaster may raise levies from all villages and cities. Forcing free men and their male slaves into service. The ragged band that comes from this is never a sight that will make one awe. They are untrained with low morale. Most of them are used as fodder until the Order Achanus steps in.
Noblemen warbands
Every now and then a nobleman can bring around his friends and subordinates to go on a raid. It’s common courtesy not to stop one from doing so. As they often return with foreign loot and slaves. Warbands are small and never stay in one place for too long. Often they remain near the coast. It’s also common courtesy that no nobleman shall raid lands of an ally. These warbands are sometimes used for harassment.
So that's that. Anyone want to help built that history with me?
