Freedom Under Tyranny
The nation of Drostollor, founded by the pilgrims that escaped their deaths at the impact of
The Drostol Comet, is in the northern reaches of the
Akathian Realm's borders. These mountain-dwelling, seafaring peoples are traditional in their ways, having forged their path in relative solitude for centuries. Relative solitude, however, is all they have ever been afforded by the Akathian realm, which has kept a steady grip on their society since its inception in 844 A.C.R., where the many small city-states of the region banded together under one Drostollorian banner. The Bleithcrown, or king of Drostollor, finds their seat within the city of the same name at the very northern-most region of the country.
"How are we expected to claim independence when we ourselves our not wholly united? We lie in a bed of festering disputes, rivalries and squabbles of yore, it should be no wonder that we could not contend with such a force. A single body with a single purpose, with a blade leveled to our necks, waiting only for our instability to force our tumble onto its sharpened point." -Sverikar Andol
Drostollor also finds lands on the two islands to its north, known together as the Drostollor islands. The west-most island is named Yrinvale (EEr-in-vay-l), while its eastern sister-island is named Oede (Oh-ED-uh). These two have their own disputes, with them regarding themselves much in the same way that Drostollor regards the Akathian Realm and Aleryn, though their allegiance if put to the test would more than likely land with a much stronger allegiance to Drostollor.
The Drostollorian Country
Known as the Mountainvale, the Drostollorian country is not respected as an independant state by most in power. There are many, however, that are symphathetic to their independance and would enjoy seeing them as a new, fifth realm to join
The Virosian Realms.
Fjorlosia, for one, has motioned for this numerous times, without gaining ground. As the years pass, though, it is seen that more traction is building outside of Drostollor for their lands to flourish as a realm of their very own. Where those borders fall has yet to reach real debate, as the motions themself fall flat before anything can move forward and such minutia could be discussed. Many though place the Drostollorian borders as far south as Crater, and as far west as the Old Fjorlosian realm.
The sometimes loose grip, sometimes iron grip, in addition to the off-and-on nature of Aleryn and/or Akathia's direct rule over Drostollor has lead to a culture that resents the south at large, yet itself cannot overall unify for the purpose of rebellion. Many attempts have been made, and those many have more or less completely failed, if indeed the end goal is their complete independance from Akathia. Other small ground has been gained, though nothing of major significance, mostly economic policy leniencies and other amnesties from specific Akathian laws that wouldn't exist without their nack for terrorizing Drostollor with legeslation.
Drostollorian people are extremely proud of their Drostollorian heritage, and this pride is enflamed constantly by their rage against the Akathian "regime". Drostollorians survive more off the land than almost any other realm, as the Talii'Mendo survive off the sea, though the peoples of the Mountainvale have strong seafaring capabilities and the most competent navy of human make. As well, Drostollorians are one of the only instances in the realms of sanctioned slavery.
Cities and Townships
Unlike their Akathian counterparts, the Drostollorians are a much more rambunctious people, and are considered more sociable. Their cities are less urban and more wide than the dense townships of the Alerean south, with a large portion of their homes interspersed into farmland, making every city composed of numerous smaller townships. These townships have their own local mayors or impromptu leaders, which come together at their city's heart to make decisions. Every Drostollorian city, however, works in a unique fashion, with some giving more or less control to the smaller township's leaders than others.
This results in generally tight-knit communities, even in comparison to the towns just outside of what is considered Drostollorian country. Drostollor itself is composed of over twenty townships, to which the Bleithcrown finds direct council from. Those leaders are elected or otherwise chosen in their own unique ways by the townships. Some are tenured, while others are replaced rather frequently, up to the desireable representation by any given township. Often, these leaders are also accompanied by their own council, frequently either a spouse or spiritual leader that they trust.
Between Drostollorian cities, there is a great deal of infighting. Most cities have access to a specialized resource, and the economic incentives to sell these at a higher cost outside of Drostollor rather than within is very high. As a result, trading them between each other is at an extreme premium, and discord has arisen between the cities.
Vissicara's Way
The Vissicara is a spiritual path, created around the ideals of fate and destiny. Everything has purpose and relation in this code of life, and Drostollorians take this quite seriously. Pathways are sacred things, to be preservered and cherished. Roads are extremely well kept in Drostollorian lands as a result, as are almost any other form of pathway.
Drostollorians are born with markings on their flesh in the form of lightened points, normally in the shape of streaks like cut scars, known as a Mark of Passing. It is thought to be the source of their death, in some fashion. When the child comes of age, it is customary that they choose to have their marking blessed by a Vissicus, and so they are brought to the religious leader and the spot is branded, or another spot is branded, the two spots being linked. This spot is where a follower of the Vissicaran paths believes they shall be killed, and is a sacred destiny. Sometimes on display, sometimes a secret, it is known as a Scar of Finality if the spot itself is branded.
Speaking of the future in absolute terms is considered bad for the spirit in the Vissicaran Way. Only fate may speak for itself, and it may only be spoken of when it is a plain certainty. Such is the case with a Scar of Finality or when regular patterns like sunrise or moon phases are falling in line.
Their symbol is a long two-pronged fork, like a tuning fork. It represents Virosia's lungs, her breath, but the path's unity, and fate.
Slavery
Slaves in the Drostollorian country are legal under several specific conditions. Those conditions are thus:
- They have committed one of the specific crimes where it's punishment is allowed to be slayery, i.e. murder, deserting, grand larsony, or some other major crime where the typical punishment elsewhere might simply be execution.
- They were in Akathian lands when their crime was committed. This means that Aleryn or any other southern town may send their criminals to Drostollor, dealing with slavers there to take care of their incarcerated. The same laws for crime committed must be followed.
- Slaves must be paid at the rate of at least half of what a regular citizen would be paid for the same job.
- A minimum of one previous infraction must be documented before execution may be used as a punishment. Therefore there is the primary crime bringing them to become a slave, another disobedience under their owner, and after the third, whatever their owner sees as fitting is law.
Culturally slavery is still looked as a general bad by virtually all Drostollorians, and it's main use in the last century has been as sailing crew; either as proper crew, or if that is seen as too much responsibility or even dangerous, they can be relegated to be icespears exclusively, a sentence essentially as good as death if not worse.
Icespears
Ships in these regions often have to deal with arctic conditions, especially when dealing with travel through the Shards of Glass. Many opt to attach smaller ships to the front of their boats loaded with slaves that use oars to pull the boat forward, and function as an icebreaker. These smaller ships are known as icespears.
The job is notoriously parious as a result of a lack of clothing provided to the workers, most always slaves, as well as the general dangers of leading a boat into icy waters. Workers are exhausted physically by the rowing of their oars, meaning their death by frost is quickened, and when they must break ice, often times workers will have to break chunks of ice off of the front of their icespear, causing snow and ice to fall directly on them. Workers will also make rotations of who must next get on icebergs in order to break them off if they're particularly problematic. As they're often not provided adequate weather protection, this can mean loss of limb to hypothermia, or even death in the worst of cases.
Infighting of the Islands
Yrinvale and Oede hate one another and wage semi-constant civil war on one another under their overall Drostollorian banners. Resource disputes have raged between numerous noble houses on both islands, and no agreement has ever been made that has been more effective than the mutual desire for bloodshed. Thus, any peace seems to return to bloodshed.
Along with aforementioned resource disputes, the feud also results from a problematic inheritance, one seen as illegitimate as the Mountainlord of Oede and Yrinvale was succeeded by twins. The islands then officially split into two separate political bodies, and the brothers could not agree who would be the full heir.
