THERE ARE FIVE MAIN TYPES OF POLITICAL ORGANIZATION
AMONG HUMANS IN LANDEN:

Firm States (Subtypes: Vree and Suhndi)
Wild States
Free Cities
Pirate Cities
Wine States

(click each following list for details, or click here for a countries menu.)



FIRM STATES
Firm States are the traditional, organized kingdoms of either the Vree or the
Sundi. Their borders are generally stable, their cities and domestic systems (tax
collection, police, etc.) usually well-established. For the most part, their lands
were long-ago cleared of orcs and such--generally at great cost in blood and treasure.
But at spending these resources, the Firm States excel; they are the most organized
and secure places on Landen. But Vree and Suhndi Firm States differ importantly:
SUBTYPE: VREE FIRM STATES
The Vree states generally are led by a hereditary King, who maintains a standing army
and extracts service from lesser nobles. He seeks to increase his authority and the
power of his kingdom, often at the expense of other Kings or his own vassals.
The Vree Firm States are Carlow, Dantoria, Exley, Feyl Claudia, Feyl Donok,
Feyl Vastik, Fraxley, Galaga, Garonlok, Kilbatten, Montevora, Smolev, Transfeyl,
Valorcy, Volczak, and Vreconok.
SUBTYPE: SUHNDI FIRM STATES
Suhndi Firm States are led by a Zyiph, a powerful priest appointed by the Caliph
of Zymyria. The Zyiphs are charged with maintaining domestic order and expanding
the influence of Salaman in the world. They can make war on foreign powers, but
must try to avoid direct conflict with other Zyiphs, who serve the same Caliph and Deity.
The Suhndi Firm States are Niterra, Numyria, Padashah, Shialaria, Syabassar,
Zalazar, and Zymyria.



WILD STATES
Wild States are small, new kingdoms in the Midlands that are heavily funded by
the Firm States. They have their own leaders (Kings for the Vree, Zyiph for the
Suhndi) and small armies, but are beholden to greater powers--Firm States--that fund
them. The Firm States constantly manipulate the Wild States into war with each other--
surrogate conflicts by which the great powers can test each other. The Wild States,
meanwhile, often can't protect their own citizens from the most basic ravages of
The Midlands (floods, orcs, thieves, etc).
The Vree Wild States are Delran, Feyl Sley, Savannah, and Tessera.
The Suhndi Wild States are Memrah'Assar, Uqbar, and Zu.



FREE CITIES
Free Cities exist nowhere but in the Midlands, where the authority of Kings
and Zyiphs can't yet reach. They were almost all founded by some far-sighted explorerer
who wanted to live far outside the shadow of his homeland. The most famous Free City
of Vree origin is Rauk Keysa, and among the Sundi two are well-known: Chandani and
Nyzyriatas. But there are others, and even the smallest village in the Midlands is
truly a Free City. All are spirited, independent places where a cacophony of races
and cultures meet for commerce, for learning--or for any purpose anyone devises.
In the greatest of the Free Cities, the many races are forging a wholly new culture
of great promise.



PIRATE CITIES
Pirate Cities ring Brightwater Gulf. The most magnificent is Oroncza, but half a
dozen others are renowned for their wealth and danger. There are no kings or
mayors, just brigands who have their way; generally the toughest pirate or richest
smuggler in port at the moment is deferred to for the settling of local disputes,
so in a sense the cities operate like ships that have huge crews and variously
rotating and competing captains. This is what generally is called the Arcallan culture.



WINE STATES
The first Wine State came into existence about 100 years ago, in 841, when a dozen
wealthy Arcallan wineries in the Sangradoro foothills signed a document pledging
their mutual defense, thereby founding Trevalia. Trevalia, in other words, is a
country whose entire population consists of a dozen wealthy families and their farmhands.
It has a standing mercenary army and big decisions are made by a committee of the
family heads. All Wine States exist in hills south of the Sangradoro Mountains,
and all collaborate comfortably with the Pirate Cities to get their product to market.
The Wine States are Borovia, Chalicia, Champion, Financia, Omerta, Prospertina,
Trevalia, and Vinland.


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