An Almanac of Nations

[Ebiris]

There are lots of countries on Aldremir, and city states and tribes beyond measure. It would be impossible to describe them all in the detail they deserve, so this thread exists to give some broad strokes and helpful comparisons of countries you'll encounter. There are always exceptions, and nothing here should be taken as definitive, but it hopefully will give a starting point to work from so you're not blind and confused when they get name-dropped. Perhaps you'll even visit them some day.

The next post will cover Isernia (where the game starts), its immediate neighbours, and two other important trading partners. I'll add more when they become relevant.

[Ebiris]

Isernia itself is a burgeoning mercantile kingdom, although Salerno is its only sea port, said city is also one of the largest centres of trade in Pranneria. Taking rich advantage of its prime position on the Jovar trade route, enough to make it a city state in its own right almost - a good historical analogue to it is Italy, with Salerno being Venice. The country is ruled by a hereditary monarchy, and has a very strong noble class who often see themselves as business-people as much as rulers. The interior of Isernia adopts a somewhat traditional and insular manner, treating the excesses of Salerno as fodder for juicy rumours and shameful tutting, but none can deny the riches it brings into their formerly minor country, propelling it into dominance on the South of Pranneria. Isernians are stereotyped as overly obsessed with money, and prone to lavish excesses but often exceedingly generous. In their own worldview, they see themselves as shrewd capitalists who work hard and are entitled spoiling themselves and their friends now and again.

To the North we've got Tanagra. Think of it as France or Germany depending on the century - the big powerhouse of the continent that everyone else generally works around. It's mostly come together over the past couple of centuries from conquering and forming unions with other inland nations, till it's reached the point that foreign policy for most countries is 'Don't let Tanagra get any bigger!'. Being landlocked is the big limiter on its potential. It has a very multicultural feel, with many regions still identifying with their former countries - despite that they're quite stable, and work out such rivalries through extremely popular contests and sporting events. The government is an Imperial senate, led by an elected Emperor who rules for life. People there are stereotyped as being self important braggarts who look down on everyone else. They see themselves as energetic and outgoing, being unfairly held back by the other peoples of Pranneria.

Northeast is Jherlund, a small country squeezed in between Isernia, Tanagra, and the Pinnacle Mountains. The people there are tough and provincial, and it's one of the very few countries that looks down on magic. Draw your own conclusions between that and its overall unimportance. They're generally left alone by their neighbours, the terrain too inhospitable and strategically unimportant to make them worth conquering. The government is a weak Council of Elders, but unofficially dominated by a druidic cult making it a theocracy in practice. People there are stereotyped as superstitious barbarians who're terrified of everyone else. They see themselves as tough and self-sufficient, not needing anyone else or their dangerous magic.

To the West is Zameina, a kingdom in the same mould as Isernia. It has the largest beastman population in Pranneria, and is also one of the few nations that practices institutionalised slavery - not unrelated facts. It's somewhat insular in terms of foreign affairs, but has warred with Isernia on several occasions, generally over the lucrative trade with Jovar that passes through Salerno, and has flitted between sides in the numerous conflicts the rest of Pranneria has waged against Tanagra, giving it a treacherous reputation. The free people are stereotyped as decadent, lazy, and cruel - propaganda has not been kind to Zameina thanks to their attempts at playing different sides against each other, and their insular nature prevents them from doing much to redeem themselves. They see themselves as enlightened guardians of civilisation, keeping lesser peoples in line and doing what must be done to preserve themselves against more powerful neighbours.

Not a neighbour but bearing mention due to its proximity and power is Anowia. This is our Great Britain analogue, a rapidly expanding colonial power that's focusing much of its efforts on exploiting Cimmeria, with its policy at home built on maintaining the balance of power on Pranneria, typically through bribes, spying, alliances, and betrayals all designed to ensure no one can become powerful enough to threaten them. Like Isernia they're a constitutional monarchy, still with much power invested in the monarch while parliament takes a more advisory role. They're frequently portrayed as incorrigible rogues, cheerfully willing to smile to your face and then stab you in the back, but unlike Zameina they're very involved across the world and very good at propaganda, so there's a bit of lovable rogue in there too, since they finance a lot of public works in countries they're currently wooing. They tend to see themselves as adventuresome heroes and clever tricksters, having no shame about taking any edge they can get if no one else is savvy enough to stop them.

No discussion of Isernia is complete without mentioning Jovar, despite it being halfway around the world. The Dragon Empire is ancient and supremely confident, holding to a course charted thousands of years ago and seeing no reason to change. The Emperor's rule is absolute, but due to the distances involved the Empire is very decentralised, with appointed regional governers handling matters much like petty kings. Jovar concerns itself little with its neighbours, allowing them a semblance of independence so long as lip service is given to the Divine Emperor. Traders from across the world are permitted only at certain ports, and strict quotas are imposed on what can be traded - woe betide any who try to get around such edicts. The energetic nations of Pranneria are treated with benign indifference, allowed to peddle their wares but kept at arm's length. This all makes the stereotypical Jovaran a subject of mystery and intrigue, suspected to always be holding something wondrous or terrible under their hat, and treated with caution for it. To themselves, the Jovarans simply are the model of civility, happiness, and productivity. They don't see themselves as secretive, they just have everything they need right where they are, and don't particularly care either way about the snoopings of strange foreigners nor their trinkets.