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| Soto | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 23 2008, 01:46 PM (3,843 Views) | |
| Kestrel Sumner | Jul 23 2008, 01:46 PM Post #1 |
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And then she was gone, her hips swinging as the knives jostled her thighs, passing by guards with her head held high, a haughty smile upon her lips.
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SOTO Government Type: Republic Head(s) of State: 12 Councilors, including: Relations with Other Countries?
Geography Capital City: Madrid Notable Cities:
Terrain: Soto is unlike any other nation within Elenlond. From its vast forests to its extravagant cities, it is both beautiful and daunting to those who are unused to large and spacious territory. To the west lies the Sedokai ocean where it is rumoured the Mianorite water goddess' desolate temple stands on a cliff overlooking the ocean, while to the east sprawls the massive Erth’netora Forest. Safely hidden within the interior is the city of Madrid, while Reine, Soto’s second major city, is located along the coast. A small island southwest of the main continent houses Hohoemi and one of Soto's most beautiful rivers, the Kaeyale. Notable Landmarks:
Economy Exports: Animal bone and antlers, rafted products, furs, lumber, weapons, wine Specialities: Lumber, production/manufacturing of imported products Agriculture: One of Soto's chief exports is lumber. The forests of Soto are plentiful, yet the people of the country still replenish what they take from them, planting trees each time they cut them down. A few hobby farms mostly run by various guildsmen or merchants do crop up along the countryside, but there are no large-scale crop farms in Soto. Elk and moose herds do thrive in captivity, and there are many farmers who keep such animal herds to sell for their meat, antlers, or hides. These herding farms can grow into very large operations, and the business is quite lucrative to the smart herder. Military Soto's history is long and bloodstained, punctuated in the early period with near-constant internecine warfare on the long road to unification, and in the later period with prolonged quarrels with its eastern neighbour, Morrim. A common theme of Sotoan military development has been reaction and adaptability. The forest that dominates the countryside provides useful materials in warfare, and a culture of hunting fosters a rugged independence of thought in its people. However, outside of the cities, its population density is low. Soto is organised mainly around material, as opposed to landed, wealth. Private enterprise and ingenuity within the confines of guild law are praised and lauded. As such, Soto has a thriving industrial culture, and produce the finest weapons, armour and feats of engineering in all Soare. This infrastructure couples beautifully with the professionalism of its military, creating a dangerously effective fighting force. Mercenaries are unwelcome in Soto, the ruling councillors viewing them as unreliable and disloyal. Due to the slight xenophobia against non-Guild warriors, bands of professional soldiers typically go to Morrim or Ashoka to ply their trade, or are assimilated into the Guilds that will take them. Cavalry Infantry Artillery Navy Magic Units of Renown Culture Nationality: The Sotoans are a very fair people—tall, lithe, and graceful. There are few apparent differences between the wealthy and the poor apart from the type of material their clothing is made of or the size of their purse. Most Sotoans tend to have lighter hair, ranging from blonde to a light brown, their eyes primarily ranging between hues of blue or green. There are, on the odd occasion, brown-eyed citizens, but they are few and far between, and it is often assumed that a distant relative was from one of the other countries. Most everyone is treated with respect, whether rich or poor, and there is very little crime as the penalty for unnecessary bloodshed is banishment and the subsequent end of one's career. The coastal people are quite a bit different from those men and women of the interior. Many are dark-haired and bright-eyed, a tad more burly due to their relationship with the sea, and are significantly more war-like. Typically they become either merchants, pirates, mercenaries, but are almost always affiliated with the ocean in some way. Brawls are not uncommon among these folk, but the Council only reprimands them when it has time to. For the most part, these people are ignored and take very little part in the governing of Soto. Few are privileged enough to become Councillors, even if they are a citizen of Soto. The coastal people still abide by the guild system, even if it's of little importance to Soto as a whole. It is said that there may be other races within the Erth’netora forest—elves, dark elves, and vampires being what the rumours tell of—although it is unknown as to whether this is true or not. Only a handful of people have claimed that they’ve come across dark shapes unlike anything they’ve ever seen before, and it has been said that most of these people were a little "mad" to begin with. Therefore, how much truth these rumours have remains to be seen. While there are no substantial differences between the Southwestern Islanders and the Sotoan mainland citizens, the people of Hohoemi tend to be a quieter and less aggressive, likely because the town does not see a lot of foot or boat traffic, and it remains largely secluded. Because of this, however, a traveller would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't want to aid them in any way they can, the altruism runs so high. For some it can seem obnoxious, but to most it is a welcome change. When travellers do pass through Hohoemi, they are both welcomed and regarded warily, mostly because there is an ever-present underlying fear that the Soto prooper and its powers that be hope to assimilate the island into its culture. National Designation: Citizens of Soto are known as Sotoans. Religion: Soto is, perhaps, one of the most religious countries in the world. It does not merely worship nature gods as the temples scattered throughout the country would imply, but all kinds of different gods, some of which are little more than deified local superstition. More often than not, a Sotoan will stop at the entrance to a door, make a quick prayer to the two headed god of doors, Jaseff, or the goddess of hospitality and homes, Hecassa, before entering—they even have a god for grain mould, named Eurus, to whom they pray when they don't want their crops or stores to mould. There are hundreds of different gods that different people will pray to, and there are festivals and feasts throughout the year to the more prominent ones—especially the nature gods, but not always—with at least one each month, if not two or three. Most Sotoan denizens enjoy the festivals because it means getting out of work for a day. There are some gods that are highly favoured and very important to the Sotoans, such as the wise mother-goddess, Gaena, who is sovereign over the earth, or her more fickle sister, Hailis, who is sovereign over the sea and is particularly respected in Reine. Others include their brothers, such as the mischievous Khabros, otherwise known as He-Who-Walks-the-Mountaintops, or the solemn but beautiful Thaeonon, who acts as the psychopomp between life and death. These gods are also acknolwedged on a daily basis, be it by farmers or sailors, through stories and idioms. The tales especially are endlessly creative and are often told with a regional twist. In the end, it is probably the storytelling that is the most important part of the Sotoan religion: more than the burnt offerings in temples and the murmurings of priests, these are a form of worship. Education: Literacy rates are higher in Soto than they are in any other country, but only because access to literacy is easier for most people, due to the lack of a rigid social hierarchy. There are several guilds for the tutors, teachers and mentors that teach reading, writing and other skills to people, though the extent of that teaching depends hugely on fees that must be paid to the guild. The more one pays, the more respected a tutor one will get and the more proficient one will be in either reading, writing, or both. Other skills, such as combat, stealth, magic, and clerical skills, are generally learned through the guild that one joins, and these skills may be broadened if one chooses to join other guilds. Society: Soto is a country based solely on guilds—there is no social hierarchy, save that a citizen is either a part of a guild (or multiple guilds, as the case may be), or they're not, and almost all of Soto's citizens do, because it is seen as disgraceful if one doesn't join at least one. Those that don't are often called Outcasts. Aside from the social aspect, it is unwise to not be affiliated with a guild, because it is association with a guild that makes one able to practice and sell their profession without tax or punishment. Within these guilds, a social hierarchy exists, but one does not exist between guilds, and members are expected to follow the rules laid down by their guildmasters: if they do not, they may be removed from the guild, and never accepted into another again, depending on the circumstances. If one chooses to join multiple guilds, they must keep up their duties for all of them, and when conflicts arise between guilds, must choose the one that they are affiliated more to, which may or may not lead to expulsion from other guilds. For that very reason, most only choose one. There are several different kinds of guilds, for a variety of functions, but the best-known ones include:
A few other guilds exist in secret, operating underground and exploiting the occasional instance of corruption within the government to continue their existence. Some smaller guilds are often taken down by the government with great swiftness, but there are some that persist, escaping attack, such as:
There are hundreds more, of course, and a guild can be composed of as few as two people if it really wants to, just so long as the guild's existence is registered with the government. However, this will not earn the guild prestige and the less prestige a guild has, the less likely its guildmaster will be voted in as a Councillor. Most of Soto's guilds do not accept foreigners, including former Mianorites, and they must be registered at a Counting House, a number of which can be found in Madrid, a couple in Reine; there are no guilds in Hohoemi, as the Southwestern Island never adopted what the mainland had, likely due to its status as an acquisition that was never developed by Soto proper. Perhaps the most striking feature of Soto's system is that the Councillors do not choose when the country goes to war—the guilds do. If the guilds refuse to band together in order to go to war, Soto will remain neutral. Usually, if the country is invaded, the guilds will come together, but it has been known to remain neutral, even when Soto itself is being assaulted. Hohoemi and the island on which it resides, just off the southwestern coast of Soto, do not follow the guild system. Although it is still considered a part of the country, it does not dabble in the politics of the mainland. In its own way, the island has decided on an isolationist political policy; people do still travel between Hohoemi and the other Sotoan cities, but information does not disseminate back and forth well. Both sides seem, for the most part, content with this. In addition, Soto is governed by a council of twelve. The council appears as follows:
History The first settled Sotoans were divided into many different groups, each led by their own leader and oftentimes unique governments. Termed kingdoms for the sake of convenience, these sovereignties were of varying sizes and strengths, some encompassing whole swaths of forest and others barely covering a few villages. They were often tied up in complex webs of alliances and enmities, sealed by marriages or split by feuds. Before the unification of Soto, there was never a moment where these kingdoms were not experiencing some sort of conflict. Despite this, the peoples of this area still identified by a common term: Sotoans. There was no questioning what land they were a part of and while they often were unkind to each other, they were unkinder still to those outside their lands, to the foreigners and barbarians. In that, at least, there was a sense of unity. There was also an option for Soto-wide cooperation, not that it was often used. In times of necessity, a Council of Kings was convened in Madrid, a city that was deemed neutral. Madrid had no king or other such recognized leader, but instead relied on a system of direct democracy. It was common practice for the leader or wealthy members of a kingdom to bestow gifts upon the city, be it refurbishment or money for a garden, as this tended to make them seem more charitable than they might otherwise have looked. Though spats and small conflicts were common, there was no altercation as great as the Gold War, which began in 188 BR. This war began when the already rich and powerful soverignty of Stavros found a deposit of gold ore on the border it shared with the lands of a much weaker kingdom, Pessara. As is to be expected with such a rare commodity, conflict broke out over who had possessions of the vein, and it was expected that Stavros would soon bear down upon Pessara and crush it. However, it turned out that the royal family of Pessara, the Whitsors, had managed to make a lot of friends across the Sotoan communities. They called in their various contacts and were soon engaged in a struggle with the Stavrites and their allies. Soon enough, almost all of Soto was drawn into this conflict, creating a stalemate situation that dragged on for many years. In all this confusion and drama, the Sotoan peoples failed to notice when Morrim began to encroach upon the sovereignties of the east in the 160s. It was only when they took one of the larger kingdoms, which bordered upon Madrid, that people began to realize. A panic set in and a Council of Kings was quickly convened in 165 BR. This Council was one that changed history, for it was here that a prominent Madridean, Phaedrus Hermanos, gave a famous speech. He urged for the Sotoans to come to a peace with each other, to create a unity, "no matter how fleeting." He turned their attention to the sight in the east, where the Morrim-occupied lands of Dolopis lay: "We have been fighting for private interests, for petty gains. That is rare privilege, for if we fall under the yoke of another, if we are divided and so give into tyranny, we will be able to fight no longer. There will be no gain for this kingdom or that, but only for our enemies in the east." Phaedrus' words had a miraculous effect on the Council of Kings. With very little arguing, they decided to solidify a peace treaty and institute the Council of Kings as a regularly meeting body of government, with Phaedrus at the head. However, conflict between the common people of the various kingdoms continued, so the Council of Kings decided to create a body that would unify their subjects as well: the Council of Guilds. As there were various guilds in every sovereignty, they decided to unify them and give them a place to have political power: the Guildhall in Madrid, where there were twelve seats. This had the added effect of increasing trade in the Sotoan lands. However, the balance of power between these two bodies was tenuous at best. The Council of Guilds only had power over the Guilds themselves and had very little actual political power, a fact which they despised. In a movement spearheaded by the representative for the Mystic Occult, Sirravo Quintus, many members of the Council of Kings were found to be corrupt or otherwise morally dissolute. Once the various members of this Council were sufficiently defamed, that body of the government was dissolved, leaving the Council of Guilds sovereign. Its name was later changed to the Council of Twelve, as it is called today. Phaedrus Hermanos was assassinated soon after and his killer was never identified. Today, Soto's lords and other such "nobles" are descendents of the families of the ancient Kings. They have no true power, merely a reputation for their ancestry. It was in this state that Soto faced Morrim in 160 BR. The Ashokans approached the Council of Twelve with propositions of an alliance against Morrim, for Ashoka had also experienced incursions by the Morrimian Empire. Thus they fought together in the First Origa War, named so because the conflict centred around the Ashokan lands surrounding the Origa River. This two-pronged war lasted for fifteen arduous years in which the Sotoans assisted the Ashokans in the north and in turn received help with their own struggles in the south. The Sotoans managed to push the Morrimians away from their land, leaving them with only a few coastal possessions. In 145 BR, a truce was agreed upon, for both sides were tired of fighting. The end result of this war was viewed by the Sotoans as a success: it confirmed the strength of their new unity and government. In the years of peace that followed, the Sotoan people began to truly appreciate their new nation. They became more patriotic, more avid in the guilds and the government. When Morrimian explorers discovered and colonized a land in the south, Angkar, the Sotoans believed that they should have a piece of it as well. A fleet was assembled in Reine in 135 BR and they managed to take a few pieces of land in the western portion of Angkar, largely on the main island with a few of the surrounding islands as well. The Sotoan economy benefited heavily from this venture, for there was an influx of luxury items such as spices, coffee, and sugar. However, the Sotoans refused to take slaves, as Morrim did, for it was against their moral code. In 127 BR, the Sotoans and Morrimians came into conflict in this new land. They both wanted to expand but had already eaten up all the space available, and so conflict began again. This time it was Soto approaching Ashoka for help. An assault on Morrim was picked up on several fronts: once again around the Origa Ravine, then along Soto's coast and even in Angkar. The Morrimian empire could not sustain this war for long, and so the Second Origa War ended in 121 BR. The collapse of the Morrimian empire was concurrent with the disturbance that was the Mianorite migration. In the warped years that followed, Soto was thrown out of Angkar by the natives and later became the country most responsible for the eradication of Mianorites, and such prejudice against them still continues today, at least amongst those people who remember their existence. After this troubled period came the Dark Conquest, in which the Banshee King, Andromalius, staged a takeover of Morrim and then Ashoka. Soto was afraid of the army amassed on the Ashokan border, but Andromalius suddenly abdicated and fled. Relieved, the army stood down, though there was fear that that Andromalius' disappearance could just be a hoax. When no attacks came, the peace became official and Soto breathed a sigh of relief. Safe from war, Soto was suddenly the strongest of the three Soaren nations. The major concern for the Sotoan people was the presence of refugees that had come from Ashoka during Andromalius' conquest. Some Sotoans supported their presence and wanted to help them, a lot simply didn't care. But there was a group that despised them, was paranoid about the refugees committing crimes and otherwise harming the country, even though there weren't many of them. The one who most encouraged this anti-refugee sentiment was the Councillor formerly of Auberon's Destiny, Aniketos Hesperés. He assembled a small group of fighters and raided the main refugee camp. Though some Sotoans joined the fight on the refugee side, the raid was still a success, and the refugees were dispersed. Many of the refugees, including their leader Yangin Kanruh, secretly entered Madrid and made a plea for the guild Argos to take them in. The guild agreed, though not lightly. Since then, Soto has been relatively at peace and its people live in a wealth and freedom unavailable to many others. However, these people keep a cautious eye on the other countries; after all, prosperity can never last long. Edited by Aniketos, Jun 18 2017, 06:07 PM.
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