Post by Tylonius on May 20, 2017 23:17:16 GMT
Kingdom Name: Kalmar Ecclesiocracy
Race: Dwarf (Large Elf and Human minorities, lesser other race minorities)
Religion: Search Heresy
Monarch: Antal Kalmar - The Eternal Seeker
The son of Kieros Kalmar, The Liberator, Antal was a very young child when the Szekeres Empire collapsed in the aftermath of the Cataclysm. He grew up on the great journey his people made into the West under his father's guidance, and during the War of Liberation they led against Satone Vanala. He himself served in battle towards the end of the war, and fought by his father's side against Satone at the very end. When his father succumbed to the wounds he acquired in that battle, he took his place in building the nation of Kalmar, shaping it according to his father's dreams. He has ruled the Ecclesiocracy for almost a thousand years, having spent that time as a living symbol of strength and wisdom, guiding his people them through countless events.
He is a Farseer of great skill, having honed his abilities over his extremely long lifetime. However, whatever was keeping him alive has failed, and he has spent the past decades weakening. He now rules from his bed, tended to by advisers and servants. But despite his weakened state, he still commands great respect and loyalty among his people, and he is desperately clinging onto life so that he may live long enough to pass leadership onto the salvation that he has divined is coming.
Agents:
- Captain and Regiment of Renown: General Rendíth Dirana and the Pagahara Wardens.
During the Civil War Korani Tola executed a daring strategy. He lured the defenders of the capital city away from their station, and sent an elite strike force to sack the city, opposed only by the cities paltry guardsmen and their young commander, an elf named Vator Dirana. Despite being massively outnumbered, the guardsmen fought valiantly, spending their lives to ensure as many civilians managed to withdraw to safety further up into the city as possible. Eventually, when the attackers came to the gate that stood between the fourth and fifth levels of the city, there were only fifty soldiers left. However, Vator was the only surviving guard, the other all either dead or too wounded to go on. The wounded led the thousands of rescued civilians into the mountain tunnels behind the palace while Vator fought alone against the enemy alone. No one survived the battle.
In recognition of the extreme bravery and heroism of Vator and his men, the city guard was reconstituted into an elite force of warriors known as the Pagahara Wardens, and all commanders of the force take on Vator's last name as a sign of respect for the Paragon of the Warrior Caste. Rendíth is the youngest to have held leadership since Vator himself, being only forty-five years old. The dwarf rose quickly through the ranks of the Wardens and took over when the previous commander was killed by a Tolani assassin. Despite many worrying that his ascension was premature, he has laid these fears to rest with his skill and composure. He is a trusted adviser to both Antal Kalmar and the Grand Marshal, and is even respected outside his own Caste for his loyalty and courage.
- Governor: Kitar Apani, Governor of Madha
Leader of the Guild of Law, and defacto most powerful person in the nation, the human female is the Acting Governor of the province of Madha, officially holding the position till it can be filled by an Almur Cseyur. However, with all Almur save Antal dead, the Artisan caste, and the Guild of Law in particular lead the nation. While still loyal to Antal, she has no problem using her power as she see's fit, taking part in the political maneuvering currently taking place to see who will be in position to lead once Antal dies.
Kitar is a firm woman, hardened by years of politics and leadership. She rose quickly through the ranks of the Guild of Law, reaching a position of adviser to Antal Kalmar himself. Seeing her skill in administration, Antal named her to the position of Governor of the central territories on the retirement of her predecessor. She is favored by the Congress of Guilds to lead the nation, but is opposed by the Grand Marshall and High Magus.
Capital: Pagahara - The City of Stars
Pagahara was built into the mountain that was home to Satone Vanala's holdfast. The mines that fed his army were used to construct and enrich the new capital. It is on the western face of Mount Bidu, on the western tip of the Havalan Spur, a chain of motaunins that jut out five miles west from the all but impassible Vadhadha Mountain Range that dominates the nations eastern border. The sudden eastern swell of the River Vitar nears the city, and is used to water the surrounding farms, and feed the cities moat. Pagahara is built as a series of five rings running up the face of the mountain, one for each Caste.
The first ring is the Worker ring, placed below the Mage ring by sheer nessecity. It is dominated by warehouses, foundries, and mine entrances. It is here that most of the cities economic activity happens, with massive amounts of trade and production being performed in this ring every day. It is also here that the Worker Conclave gathers every year.
- Trade District
The second ring is the Mage ring. It is here that the cities Mage School is located, also the traditional dwelling place of the High Magus. Here can be found countless shops, either magical or non. Due to the small population of the mage caste, this is also where the majority of the cities inhabitants live.
The Military Ring makes up the third ring. The Grand Marshall commands all the Kalmari forces from this ring, as well as being the home of the Pagahara Wardens and other local forces. The ring's defenses were massively upgraded after the invasion during the Civil war, and the thick stone walls now bristle with defenses, both external and internal.
- Military District
The Artisan ring is the fourth ring. Here lies the crafter's workshops, laboratories, and libraries. Trade here is dominated by smaller, master crafted lots in opposition to the large bulk trade of the Worker ring. The various Guild-houses are located here, as is the Congress of Guilds, where the actions of the Caste are decided.
- Arts District
The final ring is the Religious ring, a small zone dominated by three landmarks. The first of these landmarks is the great Palace of Kalmar, from where the laws of the land are deliberated on and decided by the religious Caste. However, with the near extinction of the Almur, Antal alone now sits in deliberation, aided by advisers from among the various castes. Where once Almur walked in contemplation, now Warrior and Mage and Artisan jockey for position to see who will lead from inside these grand white walls once Antal dies.
The second landmark is the Courtyard of Ivory. A solemn and macabre place, it is here that the ivory remains of the Almur who have died since the nations founding have been interred in the open air. It is a place of silent reflection and intense piety, and it was here that Etelka Kelemen undertook her legendary meditation.
The final landmark is the Kelemen Observatory, constructed two hundred years ago. A large building, built into the very mountain itself, it is dedicated to one thing - the study of the stars. Through the observatories pride and joy, a telescope with a ten inch lens meticulously ground by the artisans, they view the heavens each night, mapping the stars and learning about them, hoping to catch a glimpse of the workings of God who has left. The Guild of Astronomers operates the observatory and monitor the lens closely, replacing it whenever it seems to warp.
- Administration District
Provinces: Utari, Dahkani, Madha, Visata
Utari - The Northern Approach
The north most province is the nation's primary point of contact with the outside world. Traders from the rest of the south, and the new traders from the East make their way into the nation from here. Hundreds of tons of produce and product travel over the provinces well maintained roads every day, guided by Workers and Artisans. The military also maintains a strong presence here, with a series of well maintained, if small, border forts.
The province is run by Acting Governor Lami Nazara, a male Artisan of the Guild of Law who is nearing retirement.
Dahkani - The Southern Wall
Once the most peaceful of the provinces of Kalmar, this designation was lost in the violence and bloodshed of the Civil War. It was here, in the fertile plains and fields of Dahkani that Korani Tola formed his rebellion. And over the course of his war he drowned the farmlands of this region under an ocean of blood. All lands south of the River Hiska were conquered by him, and since the war's end it has been primarily the domain of the Military Caste who have fortified it from the the eastern border to the western.
It is controlled by Acting Governor-General Caribi Gadhi, the only Military Caste governor in the nation. The military has been in control since the death of Balsan Szalai in the ambush where Tola stole the Star of God.
Madha - The Heartland
The central province, this territory covers all land around the capital. It is a mineral rich land, mostly free of threat. Thanks to the protection of the three external provinces, Madha has allowed itself to focus more on production and resource gathering in place of defenses. The farms are plentiful, but they are dwarfed by the mines that run up and down the Vadhadha mountain range.
It is controlled by Acting Governor Kitar Apani.
Visata - the Western Plains
Since the fall of Dahkani, it is Visata that is the most fertile of the provinces, and the numbers of farms have exploded in number since the Civil War. While the military operates a decent number of border forts in the region, and it is overseen by the Artisans, it is the Workers who reign supreme here, their numbers here enough to equal the rest of the nation combined. It is the most populous region, with most of the people spread out in various farming settlements.
It is overseen by Acting Governor Alfric Keti, an artisan.
FOCUS:
Population - Strong
The population of Kalmar is numerous and strong. Broken down into five Castes decided by birth, society is regimented, though not overly restrictive. Marriages between castes are permitted, and even somewhat common. Due to the Caste system, all members of society know generally what they will do from birth and spend their entire lives training to take up a profession in their caste.
Provinces - Weak
The Caste system of the Kalmar Ecclesiocracy has given the people inside it much strength. However, the ability to operate effectively without the guidance and over suite of the Almur is not one of them. Due to the nature of the nation, an Almur is required to lead. And with all but one Almur dead, any province should collapse under the weight of infighting among the other castes to decide who will lead. The nation itself only manages through the tricky legal loopsholes established when Antal released what the depletion of the Almur ranks would eventually mean. All provinces are technically one, and only led by figurehead representatives of Antal himself, carrying out his will as he tells them.
Military - Strong
The Military Caste of the Kalmar is the second most numerous, only behind the massively populace Worker Caste. The spend their entire lives training to defend their nation and it's people, and can be found in every position from lowly village watchman, to the elite Pagahara Wardens. It was the Almur who introduced gunpowder weapons to the east during the Siege of the Mountainhome, and the the kalmari have always taken great pride in that. To that end, they have always strove to ensure that their forces have a good selection of canon and gun on hand. The weapons may not be very advanced, primarily matchlocks and large field canons, but they are numerous.
Military:
15 Kalmar Musket Warriors
5 Heavy Infantry
5 Swivel Guns
5 Noble Cavalry
History: One thousand years ago, the Almur ruled the Far North under the banner of the mighty Szekeres Empire. They advanced the arts of science, construction, and artistry to new heights. They tamed the land, and themselves. But somewhere along the way, they allowed belief to fall by the wayside. No longer did the Search dominate their lives, content as they were with their achievements and grand makings. Whether this displeased god, or the Almur were simply unlucky is unlikely to ever be known. But what is known is that one-thousand years ago, the Szekeres Empire fell, broken by a natural calamity of such magnitude and ferocity, it was a miracle that any Almur survived. They fractured, separating into Hordes and traveling to find new homes. One such band went into the West.
Keiros Kalmar was a man changed by the Cataclysm. Before, he had been as hard as the ivory his body would one day turn into. Militant and arrogant, he believed in the strength of the Almur above all else. But when the Cataclysm broke the strength that he had put his faith and trust into, he turned to what he had long before put aside; religion. He begged what few holy people survived to guide him. They told him to head west, further than any Almur had ever gone before. And so he did. He gathered up what few hundreds survived from his house, and began the long sojourn.
For sixteen years they journeyed, travelling ever further west. And over the course of the journey, Kieros’ metamorphosis continued. He became a man of compassion and kindness, doing everything in his power to keep his people safe and happy, and to ensure his only child, Antal, would grow up to become a good leader for their people. And after the many years of searching, they finally came upon the banks of the River Narama, and a refugee camp located there. Andthus was the course of history was set.
At first the sight of the Almur, giant and strange to these people, terrified the refugees. But Kieros worked fast to defuse the tensions despite the language barrier that separated the two groups. Over the course of several months, the Almur and refugees learned to communicate, and learned about each other. And what Kieros learned infuriated him.
All land south of the river was ruled over by the tyrannical Dwarven king Satone Vanala. Three hundred years before he had swept out from his mountain fortress with an army that had pillaged and massacred their way across the map, sweeping away all that stood against him. Since then the seemingly unaging tyrant had ruled with an iron fist. All who spoke out against him were killed, and all who resisted were punished by having their village set to the flame.
These stories awoke a part of Kieros that he had long thought broken by the Cataclysm. The Warrior. As he learned more, he began to plan. And by year's end, he knew what he must do. Why he had come west with his people. It was in order to liberate these people, free them from beneath the iron boot of Satone.
For ten long years, that is exactly what he did, and the land ran red with the blood of Rebel and Loyalist and Almur. He traveled across the kingdom rallying rebels to his cause and fighting the forces of Satone. Wherever he went, his military genius allowed him to win victory after victory, outmaneuvering and defeating forces that outnumbered him. Mile by mile they punished Satone’s forces back, and where once there had been dictatorship he brought freedom, and knowledge, and safety. And he brought the Search, teaching all who would listen. And with each mile he liberated, he fell more and more in love with this land, and new ideas began to form.
He began to dream of a nation dedicated to the Search, a shining and prosperous place where all could come to join the holy quest regardless of race or species, where they would be led by the Almur to answer the great questions of reality.
And when finally he and his army stood outside Satone’s mountain holdfast, the arrayed forces of an entire kingdom at his back, he knew that this too was what was meant to be. But first, he had to accomplish what had never been done before. He had to break the hold’s seemingly impenetrable gate. But Kieros had an advantage that none other had before, carefully transported all the way from the north over twenty six long years. The cannon.
Before the might of Almur blackpowder, even Satone’s great gate could not stand, and the rebel army rushed into the mountain for one final battle. The fighting was long and bloody, most of the combat taking place in dark, cramped tunnels. But eventually Kieros and his son came upon the Dwarven King in his throne room, and fought him. It was a difficult battle, the skill and strength of the Almur matched by Satone’s panoply of enchanted and magical items. But eventually the two Almur struck the King down, killing him.
But Kieros would never live to see the fruition of his dreams. He had taken mortal wounds in the battle, and lay dying next to his hated enemy. But before he passed, he told his son to carry on his dream. And too this day, his remains are viewed with a near holy reverence by the people he saved, as The Liberator, the first of the Four Great Heroes.
The day Kieros, Antal, and their army entered the holdfast and Satone died has been celebrated since then as the Day of Liberation, the start of the new calendar in Kalmar. It is also celebrated for another reason. A soldier, injured and weary from the battle, stumbled into the depths of the mines in the mountain, and came across a gemstone. It was pure white and radiated a brilliant light from some unknown internal source.
He took the crystal, and presented it to Antal. And the newly raised leader of the nation personally refined the crystal, removing what few impurities existed and shaping it into a gem slightly larger than a fist. It was named The Tara Isten, the Star of God and was taken as a sign by the Almur and their new subjects that God approved of the new nation, and is a symbol of the Almur’s divine right to rule over it.
With his father’s remains secured, Antal turned to carry out his dream of a nation led by Almur, dedicated to the Search. And for the next thousand years he did, crafting the Kalmar Ecclesiocracy, the Five Castes, and it’s many laws and customs. He led it through a millenia of crises and glories.
From the Darphan Plague of 500 AL that killed thirty-six thousand, and would have killed hundreds of thousands more if not for the sacrifice of Bertok Szekele and most of the Mage Caste, to the Gardener Thesis of Etelka Kelemen, the greatest thinker of the Almur Philosophers, whose Encyclopedia of the World is kept updated even four hundred years after her death. To the Civil War when the warrior Korani Tola raised a rebellion of Warriors and Mages to overthrown the greatly weakened religious caste. And though he failed there, he conquered all lands south of the River Hiska, and stole the Tare Isten, both of which he holds onto to this day, daring his former overlord to come take them back. But all these pale in comparison to the greatest crisis the Kalmari have ever faced.
Antal Kalmar is dying.
After a thousand years of rule, the great Almur has been reduced to a husk of his former self. For the past three years he has barely had the strength to remain awake and talk, having been bedridden that entire time, tended to by only his most trusted advisors and servants.
And with the Religious Caste all but gone, the Warriors, Artisans, and Mages all jockey for position leading the post-Antal nation, while the Workers keep their heads down. And as his nation begins to crack at the seams he has held closed for a millennium, Antal Kalmar looks to the east for the salvation of his people.
For as the Kalmar Ecclesiocracy stares it’s second millennium in the face, the world is changing irrevocably, and none can be sure if it will survive to see it’s third.
Placement: The land to the west of the South-Eastern Mountain range and east of the nearby North-South river. Southern third overtaken by breakaway state, Tolani Kingdom.
