The Principality of Alhomeria

The happiest country in Tourceia

Structure

Alhomeria, like many other Tourceia countries, is an absolute monarchy. Ruled by Prince Panace Freestride, since the death of his father King Rizu, Alhomeria has been ushered into a new age of individualism and freedom. A ruler some may consider incompetent, Prince Panace, often seems more concerned with entertaining himself and others than actually running a country. Although he is Alhomeria’s Head of State, and holds enough power to run the government should he so desire, Prince Panace tends to leave governing Alhomeria to his council of advisors, known as the Grand Council.

A Portrait of Prince Panace

Many of the advisors on the Grand Council were chosen by King Rizu, but Prince Panace has not bothered to change them after his father’s death. Coming from all walks of life, the advisors of the council are experts in their respective fields, allowing them to effectively run the Alhomerian government. The unofficial leader of the council is Foreign Secretary Calleigh Wildhand. Previously Head Diplomat to King Rizu, Calleigh was given the role of Foreign Secretary so that she could always be near the King—much to the annoyance of the Queen—in order to advise him on matters of foreign policy. Now, nothing passes through the Grand Council without her approval.

Culture

Alhomerian society is the most accepting on the continent. Alhomerians are curious of others and their customs, often preferring to learn from strangers rather than criticizing and shunning them. Many Alhomerians live for entertainment and look to strange travellers as a means to achieve it. The people of Alhomeria tend to be very open-minded, as they are devout practitioners of the Golden Rule. The most important aspect of Alhomerian society, however, is community. Alhomerians hold their community above all else, and will remember anyone who hurts or insults it. Its astonishing to see just how quickly the overwhelming goodwill of Alhomerians can run out, leaving only the cold and shunning shoulder of a community who considers the perpetrator no different than a criminal. Although, should one manage to help an Alhomerian community, they will have made devoted friends forever. The pacifist philosophy of many Alhomerians also has an interesting effect on Alhomerian society. Violent crime is extremely rare in Alhomeria, although this tends to give way to the more nuanced white-collar crimes, which are still uncommon—compared to other countries. This pacifism also explains the lack of physical fights that break out between citizens. Instead, verbal fights are a much more common way of settling disputes—which also tends to serve as entertainment for passersby. All of these aspects tend to make others consider Alhomeria to be the most peaceful country on the continent. Alhomerian culture is extremely diverse due to the extensive international traffic that passes through. However, throughout Alhomeria, one goal remains the same: to be entertained. This popular goal has caused Alhomeria to become a home for the various arts of Tourceia. The entertainment industry has advanced far faster than any other aspect of Alhomeria. Bardic culture is especially popular in Alhomeria. The Society of Bards has been especially helpful in causing this popularity. In Alhomeria, the bardic path of life is revered—respected—far more than anywhere else in Tourceia. You would be hard-pressed to find a tavern without a bard in Alhomeria, where bards take up every street corner—each hoping to “be discovered” for their talent, and begin to truly climb the ranks. Bards from all of Tourceia journey to Alhomeria in order to train, better their craft, and find opportunities for them to make a living off their work. Further honoring this way of life is Prince Panace himself, who holds an annual competition for entertainers. The winner of this competition receives a large sum of gold, some land, a title, and the exposure many of them crave.

Another culturally significant pastime for the people of Alhomeria is gambling. While still popular in other major settlements on the continent, Alhomeria is the gambling capital of the continent—sometimes even being credited with its invention. The Casino Company is widely responsible for gambling’s popularity, using their vast amounts of wealth to build lavish casinos and run huge marketing campaigns in order to get people in the door. Porcast, the City of Lights, is the premier place for Alhomerians and travelers alike to fully experience gambling. Some manage to strike it rich in the casinos, catapulting themselves up the social hierarchy, while some lose it all—not knowing when to stop—falling deep into debt. Some even see their gambling fate as a mandate from the gods—a destiny even—which is a narrative the Casino Company likes to keep. All of these aspects have turned Alhomeria into the entertainment capital of the world.

Porcast, the City of Lights

Public Agenda

The Society of Bards

In addition to the normal guilds one may find in other countries, Alhomeria is home to the legendary Society of Bards, which boasts a network of entertainers across the continent. The Society of Bards can help its members find work almost anywhere, and its members are a staple of Alhomerian culture.

The Casino Company

Also vying for the title of the most powerful guild in Alhomeria is the Casino Company. A group of the casino-owning elite, the Casino Company has its greedy hands in almost every gambling operation in the country. In terms of wealth, they even rival Prince Panace himself.

FRIENDS

The most popular faction within Alhomeria is the Faction Responsible in Exploring Nice Devoted Specimens or FRIENDS, as it is commonly known. A pacifist faction, FRIENDS seeks to spread goodwill throughout the world, but is most heavily concentrated in Alhomeria. Their members have access to a vast network in which they can always find help. Sometimes members will need a place to stay, or a meal to eat, or just a helping hand. Other FRIENDS members jump to their aid, asking only for the member receiving help to help others. The only thing they refuse to do is physically fight, conscientiously objecting to violence, instead advocating for peace and diplomacy.

Demography and Population

(86%) Halflings (9%) Humans (3%) Dwarves (2%) Elves (<0%) Other Enclave Populations

Territories

Alhomeria consists mainly of the ancestral lands of the Halflings, as well as some fringe societies that joined Alhomeria before they could be taken up by other countries

Geographical Importance

The geographical location of Alhomeria lends itself to the country’s tourism industry. Sharing borders with five other countries, Alhomeria is a popular destination for travelers from all walks on of life. While Alhomeria lacks a coast, and suffers from a lack of international rivers, Alhomeria’s flat grasslands and few mountainous regions make land trade and travel a viable option for many. Alhomeria’s grasslands provide the country with large, fertile areas to grow crops, and provides an easy area to construct settlements. The Ankheg Wilds to the north have provided a challenge to Alhomerian settlements in the region, as well as to glory-seeking adventurers hoping to earn fame for slaying such beasts. In recent decades, many big-game hunters and adventurers of Alhomeria have taken to the frigid no man’s land of Winter’s Reach, hoping to slay the exotic arctic creatures of the region, and bring trophies back home.

A Group of Adventurers Gathered in an Alhomerian Tavern

Military

Militarily, compared to other nations, Alhomeria is somewhat weak. Under Prince Panace, the size of Alhomeria’s standing army was cut by almost half—the young Prince citing idealistic views of peace and diplomacy—and it remains one of the only policy decisions he has adamantly made. In addition to the lack of a large standing army, Alhomeria’s military capabilities also suffer from a primarily pacifist society. Many Alhomerians are conscientious objectors to physical violence, and while this may benefit Alhomerian society on the nation level, it severely limits their military and defensive capabilities. Defensively, Alhomeria is limited by the same geography that fuels its industry. While hills and mountains protect its southern border, the flat grasslands and easily traversable forests leave Alhomeria extremely vulnerable to invasion from the north, east, and west.

Religion

While some may look at Alhomerian culture and society—especially some of the underground establishments and activities—as sinful and unreligious, in reality, Alhomerians hold a very different view of the gods. They tend to believe that if the gods aren’t directly intervening or sending them signs of displeasure, then they must not be doing anything wrong. They also tend to have selective piety when it comes to the gods. Take their primary goddess, Taika, for example. As a goddess of Peace, they see her in her traditional light of pacifism—evidence of which you can see in their culture—but they also take it a step further. They see peace as making peace with themselves as well, with their emotions, with their thoughts, with their temptations. They tend to be epicurean in nature, in the sense that they believe that their main goal in life should be to achieve pleasure—in whatever form that takes for them personally. Their philosophy can be summed up simply as: If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it. If it does feel good, do it. It is this making peace with themselves and others, that causes them to revere Taika so greatly. Evidence of her influence can be seen in many parts of Alhomerian life. For instance, the pacifist mindset of many Alhomerians, or Prince Panace’s decision to cut down Alhomeria’s standing army, or even the fact that Alhomeria has never had any military conflict with another country. Hence, one of the reasons they are the most peaceful country in Tourceia.

Foreign Relations

Alhomeria boasts realtively good relations with all of their surrounding neighbors. Due to low tariffs, and acceptance of all currencies, no countries have economic gripes with Alhomeria. Their huge entertainment industry makes it a favorite place for diplomats of other countries to be assigned to, and for visits from other Heads of State. The carefree attitude of Prince Panace also causes Alhomeria not to be taken seriously on the world stage.

Agriculture & Industry

Mining

Although not a large industry in Alhomeria, mining still does happen in the southern parts of Tourceia. The Desolated Peaks in the Southern region of Alhomeria allow a small sized coal industry to prosper in Alhomeria, with some traders coming to secure the coal for their own countries. They also mine stone (such as granite) to use in their architecture.

Agriculture

Alhomeria's agriculture is quite unique, compared to the other countries of Tourceia. The grasslands of Alhomeria are especially fertile and expansive for growing crops, lending itself to the nation's agriculture. While they do grow some basic crops for food, like barley, canola, corn, cotton, sorghum, and soybeans, that isn't where most of their agricultural production lies. Most of their agricultural production relies on crops like tobacco, narko, feverbush, and goldenglow; all plants that can be turned into drugs. This ties into Alhomeria's primary industry: entertainment.

A Closeup of a Feverbush Plant

Entertainment

The industry that sets Alhomeria apart from other countries is their booming entertainment industry. This has, in part, been facilitated by Prince Panace—who was one of the major proponents of turning Alhomeria into the entertainment captital of the world. A dream that has—in recent years—become realized. Extensive international traffic travels through Alhomeria, and tired traders often want to relax and have some fun. Alhomeria has become home for all kinds of arts, including but not limited to: painting, music, dancing, and theatre. Alhomeria is home to the most bards in all of Tourceia, and someone would be hard pressed to find an establishment without one.

Where the party never dies!

Founding Date

Approximately 50 B.R.H.

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Porcast

Demonym

Alhomerian

Leader

Panace Freestride

Leader Title

The Prince of Alhomeria

Head of State

Panace Freestride

Head of Government

The Grand Council

Government System

Monarchy, Crowned Republic

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Palace economy

Currency

Unlike almost every other Tourceian country, the Principality of Alhomeria has no official currency. To encourage more trade with other countries, King Rizu passed a law declaring all currencies from other countries legal for use in Alhomeria. This means that Alhomeria doesn't mint their own currency, and strictly rely on the fluxuating value of other currencies in their economy.

Major Exports

Tobacco, Narcotics, Blaze, Angel, Coal, Assorted Crops

Major Imports

Lumber, Meat, Assorted Crops, Textiles

Legislative Body

Prince Panace (Officially), The Grand Council (Effectively)

Judicial Body

Alhomeria has a court system, in which nobles are usually the judges.

Executive Body

Prince Panace (Officially), The Grand Council (Effectively)

Official State Religion

The Tourceian Pantheon