Post by Kizmet on Jun 13, 2011 23:18:55 GMT -5
Name: Messina, the Lesser Northern Kingdom
Description: Messina is the smaller of the two Great Northern Kingdoms. It is still very undeveloped, with much of the country still being the great Pine, Fir and Conifer Forests. Small villages are mixed among the trees, and they live mostly off of what plants they can find and the animals they raise. There are three large cities within Messina, the largest being the capital, Hiyan. This is where the Royal Family resides as well as the richest Nobles and the Merchants. The two smaller cities are Sulusk & Rothryne. In Sulusk is the bardic school, where Music, Song, and Natural Magery are taught. In Messina, the Bards are Mages and the Mages are Bards; both are inextricably tied together. Rothryne is the port city and where the Military School is located. This where the Swordsmen/women are trained are for the Royal Messinan Military.
Geography: Messina is hilly country. The ground is flat in places, but most of the country is a mountainous sprawl of small and large hills. About 70% of the Kingdom is covered in forests. There is one small lake in the country and a series of small rivers and creeks. The Northern Ocean is cold and icy, while the Western Ocean is mild all year round, blowing a warm breeze across the country. The Northern edge of Messina has cold, icy winters and cool summers, but the rest of the Kingdom enjoys cool winters and mild summers, with barely any change in the seasons. There is rain evenly throughout the year, and snow is rare except in the North, where it snows during the Winter Months.
Terrain: Hilly Forest; Pines, Firs, and Conifers; heavily forested shores except for the port city of Rothryne where the Forest has been cleared away.
Climate: The Northern edge of Messina has cold, icy winters and cool summers, but the rest of the Kingdom enjoys cool winters and mild summers, with barely any change in the seasons. There is rain evenly throughout the year, and snow is rare except in the North, where it snows during the Winter Months.
Flora/Fauna: Typical Forest Fauna and Flora. Wolves, Bears, Deer, Rabbits, Foxes, Squirrels, Mice, Opposums, Chipmunks, Groundhogs, Song Birds, WoodPeckers, Termites, Moths, Spiders, Butterflies, etc. Grass, Pines (Black, Bristle one, Eastern White, Lace Bark, Pinyon, etc.), Fir (Balsam, Nikko, SubAlpine, White, Santa Lucia), Conifers (Mountain Hemlock, Incense Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar), Holly, Red Wood, Cotton Wood, Dog Wood, Ferns, wild flowers, thick vines, wild herbs, wild berries;
Year Established: 734, current Year is 1217
Ruler: The current Royal Family is the Rynothe line. The King and Queen Rule jointly, and the next heir is picked from the Royal Couple's Children. The country votes.
Ruler's Titles: King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Royal Advisor
Capital: Hiyan
Population: 20,000+
Size: 400 Square Miles
Government Type: Monarchy
Government Stability: The government fluctuates between stability and instability. The royalties are weak and change quite often, whenever there is any great unrest.
Allies & Alliances: Now Allies with the Kingdom of Aquilos, they were once part of the same Kingdom until the Great Split in the year 734.
Enemies & Rivals: Bitter enemies with the Forest People, the Nisga'l'Haida, there are constant border squabbles and raids and a bitter hatred between the two regions;
Neutral Countries: Akinosh and Shinohi are neutrel because of their distance from Messina; This neutrality is tenuous because these two countries are allies, and Aquilos and Shinohi have strained relations; Strained Neutrality with the Plains b/c they are allies with the Forest.
Demographics: Russian/Eastern European semi-based
National Colors: Forest Green & Gold
Government: The Rynothe Line came into power about 250 years ago, in 963. They are the 5th Messinan Line, and have lasted the longest. The first Line, the Demichev Line , ruled from 734 to 826. The second line, the Katia Line, ruled from 826 to 903. The third line, the Anis Line, ruled from 903 to 920. The 4th line, the Belakov Line, ruled from 920-963.
Legal System: The Royal Advisor and the reigning Monarchs act as Judge and Jury. Scholars act as defendant and prosecutor, as they merely present the facts of the case as an unbiased person. The Royal Advisor than looks through the Royal Files and finds any pertinent cases and/or Precedents set. He, the King, and the Queen than discuss the case, and all three vote. Whichever gets at least 2 votes is the verdict/punishment. There are many laws against friendships with the Nisga'l'Haida, and if they are found they are to be captured or killed on sight.
Military: The Royal Military is an elite, well trained fighting force. Only the very best get in, and the only the very loyalst. Military might is highly valued in Messina; power, strength, physical strength and power; are very valued. Every city, town, and village; every settlement, they all have their own Militias ready to fight to the death for their country and their Rulers. Death in battle is seen as very honorable and as the best way to die; dying of old age is especially looked down upon, as is dying of disease, especially long-lasting wasting disease. It is considered brave and honorable to kill yourself instead of wasting away of illness or/and age. Everyone is required to serve, if not in the Messina National Army, than in the private Militias found in each town. Serving in the NAtional Army brings great respect and honor to your family.
Economy: Messina is a relatively poor country. They are small, their only real export is lumber, which they must preseve carefully. Also, their armed forces drain much of the country's money and resources, leaving all the citizens to live in poverty, with just barely enough to get by on.
Currency: Roupes. Different colors indicate different amounts. Gold is 20, Silver is 10, bronze is 5, and copper is 1. They are small coins that are used all over Lamavia, though some socities prefer bartering to currency. Messina uses bartering and the currency equally.
Technology Level: Medieval, with some slight magicks thrown in.
Natural Resources and Manufactured Goods: The only major export from Messina is Lumber, but there are a few small rock quarries along their south-eastern edge, amongst the Northern Hills. They export very little of this, however, along with small quantitis of low-quality iron and copper
Social: Physical might, strength, and power is valued above all else.
Languages: The Trader's Language, also known Irayan, the Old Language, or the United Northern Kingdom Language. It is the langauge spoken in the Northern Kingdom when Messina and Aquilos were united as one country known as the Kingdom of Iraya.
Primary Religion: Most Messinan's follow an earthy spirit religion, believing that spirits inhabit the planst, skies, and waters. It's a very personal religion, not oft spoke of, and conducted mostly on a personal level. The wealthier Messinans, the nobility and royalty mostly, follow a religion that is more like Christianity, with all aspects embodied in one unknowable divine power. They beseech this greater power for favors, and worship often involves fasting and self-deprivation.
Cities of Note: Hiyan, the Capital of Messina, it is one of only three wealthy cities in Messina. Hiyan is where the Government is, where the royalty and nobility reside, and where their Religious head-quarters are. Sulusk is where the Bardic and Natural Magery School is, along with the Fellowship, where young religious scholars come to take an Oath of Silence. Rothryne is a Port City located along the South-Western edge of Messina, and is a busy shipping site as well as the location of the National Military School where entrants are trained for combat.
Map: www.freewebs.com/siberiae/photos/Messina/Map%20of%20Messina.bmp
Description: Messina is the smaller of the two Great Northern Kingdoms. It is still very undeveloped, with much of the country still being the great Pine, Fir and Conifer Forests. Small villages are mixed among the trees, and they live mostly off of what plants they can find and the animals they raise. There are three large cities within Messina, the largest being the capital, Hiyan. This is where the Royal Family resides as well as the richest Nobles and the Merchants. The two smaller cities are Sulusk & Rothryne. In Sulusk is the bardic school, where Music, Song, and Natural Magery are taught. In Messina, the Bards are Mages and the Mages are Bards; both are inextricably tied together. Rothryne is the port city and where the Military School is located. This where the Swordsmen/women are trained are for the Royal Messinan Military.
Geography: Messina is hilly country. The ground is flat in places, but most of the country is a mountainous sprawl of small and large hills. About 70% of the Kingdom is covered in forests. There is one small lake in the country and a series of small rivers and creeks. The Northern Ocean is cold and icy, while the Western Ocean is mild all year round, blowing a warm breeze across the country. The Northern edge of Messina has cold, icy winters and cool summers, but the rest of the Kingdom enjoys cool winters and mild summers, with barely any change in the seasons. There is rain evenly throughout the year, and snow is rare except in the North, where it snows during the Winter Months.
Terrain: Hilly Forest; Pines, Firs, and Conifers; heavily forested shores except for the port city of Rothryne where the Forest has been cleared away.
Climate: The Northern edge of Messina has cold, icy winters and cool summers, but the rest of the Kingdom enjoys cool winters and mild summers, with barely any change in the seasons. There is rain evenly throughout the year, and snow is rare except in the North, where it snows during the Winter Months.
Flora/Fauna: Typical Forest Fauna and Flora. Wolves, Bears, Deer, Rabbits, Foxes, Squirrels, Mice, Opposums, Chipmunks, Groundhogs, Song Birds, WoodPeckers, Termites, Moths, Spiders, Butterflies, etc. Grass, Pines (Black, Bristle one, Eastern White, Lace Bark, Pinyon, etc.), Fir (Balsam, Nikko, SubAlpine, White, Santa Lucia), Conifers (Mountain Hemlock, Incense Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar), Holly, Red Wood, Cotton Wood, Dog Wood, Ferns, wild flowers, thick vines, wild herbs, wild berries;
Year Established: 734, current Year is 1217
Ruler: The current Royal Family is the Rynothe line. The King and Queen Rule jointly, and the next heir is picked from the Royal Couple's Children. The country votes.
Ruler's Titles: King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Royal Advisor
Capital: Hiyan
Population: 20,000+
Size: 400 Square Miles
Government Type: Monarchy
Government Stability: The government fluctuates between stability and instability. The royalties are weak and change quite often, whenever there is any great unrest.
Allies & Alliances: Now Allies with the Kingdom of Aquilos, they were once part of the same Kingdom until the Great Split in the year 734.
Enemies & Rivals: Bitter enemies with the Forest People, the Nisga'l'Haida, there are constant border squabbles and raids and a bitter hatred between the two regions;
Neutral Countries: Akinosh and Shinohi are neutrel because of their distance from Messina; This neutrality is tenuous because these two countries are allies, and Aquilos and Shinohi have strained relations; Strained Neutrality with the Plains b/c they are allies with the Forest.
Demographics: Russian/Eastern European semi-based
National Colors: Forest Green & Gold
Government: The Rynothe Line came into power about 250 years ago, in 963. They are the 5th Messinan Line, and have lasted the longest. The first Line, the Demichev Line , ruled from 734 to 826. The second line, the Katia Line, ruled from 826 to 903. The third line, the Anis Line, ruled from 903 to 920. The 4th line, the Belakov Line, ruled from 920-963.
Legal System: The Royal Advisor and the reigning Monarchs act as Judge and Jury. Scholars act as defendant and prosecutor, as they merely present the facts of the case as an unbiased person. The Royal Advisor than looks through the Royal Files and finds any pertinent cases and/or Precedents set. He, the King, and the Queen than discuss the case, and all three vote. Whichever gets at least 2 votes is the verdict/punishment. There are many laws against friendships with the Nisga'l'Haida, and if they are found they are to be captured or killed on sight.
Military: The Royal Military is an elite, well trained fighting force. Only the very best get in, and the only the very loyalst. Military might is highly valued in Messina; power, strength, physical strength and power; are very valued. Every city, town, and village; every settlement, they all have their own Militias ready to fight to the death for their country and their Rulers. Death in battle is seen as very honorable and as the best way to die; dying of old age is especially looked down upon, as is dying of disease, especially long-lasting wasting disease. It is considered brave and honorable to kill yourself instead of wasting away of illness or/and age. Everyone is required to serve, if not in the Messina National Army, than in the private Militias found in each town. Serving in the NAtional Army brings great respect and honor to your family.
Economy: Messina is a relatively poor country. They are small, their only real export is lumber, which they must preseve carefully. Also, their armed forces drain much of the country's money and resources, leaving all the citizens to live in poverty, with just barely enough to get by on.
Currency: Roupes. Different colors indicate different amounts. Gold is 20, Silver is 10, bronze is 5, and copper is 1. They are small coins that are used all over Lamavia, though some socities prefer bartering to currency. Messina uses bartering and the currency equally.
Technology Level: Medieval, with some slight magicks thrown in.
Natural Resources and Manufactured Goods: The only major export from Messina is Lumber, but there are a few small rock quarries along their south-eastern edge, amongst the Northern Hills. They export very little of this, however, along with small quantitis of low-quality iron and copper
Social: Physical might, strength, and power is valued above all else.
Languages: The Trader's Language, also known Irayan, the Old Language, or the United Northern Kingdom Language. It is the langauge spoken in the Northern Kingdom when Messina and Aquilos were united as one country known as the Kingdom of Iraya.
Primary Religion: Most Messinan's follow an earthy spirit religion, believing that spirits inhabit the planst, skies, and waters. It's a very personal religion, not oft spoke of, and conducted mostly on a personal level. The wealthier Messinans, the nobility and royalty mostly, follow a religion that is more like Christianity, with all aspects embodied in one unknowable divine power. They beseech this greater power for favors, and worship often involves fasting and self-deprivation.
Cities of Note: Hiyan, the Capital of Messina, it is one of only three wealthy cities in Messina. Hiyan is where the Government is, where the royalty and nobility reside, and where their Religious head-quarters are. Sulusk is where the Bardic and Natural Magery School is, along with the Fellowship, where young religious scholars come to take an Oath of Silence. Rothryne is a Port City located along the South-Western edge of Messina, and is a busy shipping site as well as the location of the National Military School where entrants are trained for combat.
Map: www.freewebs.com/siberiae/photos/Messina/Map%20of%20Messina.bmp