Honorable East Jovian Company
The Kingdoms of Cantia, Tarruk and the Mask Isles
The Kingdoms of Cantia, Tarruk and the Mask Isles are an alliance of the northern isles kingdoms under the banner of a business endevur. It started as an alliance of Dwarven and Gnome kings that sook to take advantage of the sea routes to Ryuugoku and came from the understanding that banding each with each other was the only way to compete with the rising Andalusian empire, the Esro raids and the growing thread of the Hanssa peoples.
The alliance grew only strong as its members became rich, not just kings but highly succesful merchants and nobles saw their way into positions of leadership within the alliance, and they saw themselves constantly in need to standarize trade and regulation among their kingdoms. There was also an increasing need to find a source of smokepowder that was not tied to Ryuugoku, so the alliance started hiring explorers to reach past Jovia for the valuable resource. The result of these needs resulted in the founding of the *Honorable East Jovian Trading Company*, also known simple as The Company.
In time the northern kingdoms became know synonym with The Company, and its reach and power became far bigger than any one northern king could claim or hold by themselves. The Company swallowed Tarruk and the Mask Isles, making company members out of their old enemies.
Never forget, whoever sweet the word of their diplomats, however many deals they take from us, if not for our superior navy these beasts would raid and destroy our land. It is time to weaken them further and eliminate the threat completely. Kingdom of Urquessa
Excellent clients best kept at very long distance. We must convince them that their operations in the New World are inefficient for the status quo of the continent; they should come to us if they want goods shipped across the Maelstorm, perhaps some pressure must be applied to make them understand. Jovian Free States
While we have a lot of gain from their mercenaries, maps and excursions deep into the new continent, lately a lot of their bands have become criminals predating on our honorable merchants. Perhaps it is time they are taught a lesson. Ryuugoku
The biggest friend we never needed and can now completely ignore. Keep an eye out, but the way to topple them will be to archive absolute control in the New World. Republic of Abiria
They serve a great distraction for the Ryuugani, and so we call them friends, now, if only they would be reasonable about our outpost in the east life would be much simpler. New World
Never has there been a bigger chance to become independent of the Ryuugani. Now more than ever we must leverage our every resource, forge alliances and ruthlessly dominate the Sea of Braves. The Company will prevail.
Geography
Made out of three big islands of Cantia, Tarruk and Mask, the kingdoms are split from the Antiguan mainland by the Cantian Sea bordering with Andalusia and the North Sea bordering with Hanssa and the Ryuugoku Kita peninsula. All of the kingdoms are hard living, Cantia is a harsh land with little fertile ground, while Tarruk and Mask are frozen lands half covered with the Northern maelstorm.Nar Tamil
It used to be that The Company had a heavy presence and ownership of the ports in the Albirian city of Nar Tamil, their trade and power with the then fledging nation was strongly lopsided towards The Company and infested with issues of local resistance. In the last century the loose group of city states have gathered quickly under the banner of Albirian Republic and the heavily militirized council took over the ports that used to be under control of The Company. They still hold a presence in the capital of Albiria and trade still flows, but the relationship has taken a hit and some fear retaliation isPort Honor
The Company might not have the biggest settlement in the region but they win the race with trade outposts and presence in multiple first nation trading post all over the powder coast. Getting in touch with The Company is extremely easy, and even some Andalusian ports can be found to have clandestine postings of The Company as settlers in need find themselves willing to ignore the war that goes on between their nations in order to fulfill their basic trading needs. As most things within the Company these outposts tend to be fairly independent and self managed, the Company happy to let them manage themselves as long as they can keep charging duties and membership fees.Economy
The Company trades in everything and with anyone that they can get a profit from. They have their hands in every pie they can and they are experts at forcing themselves into any and every market possible. The Company has very little interest in claiming land through permanent settlements or creating industries outside of the northern isles, preferring to stablish outposts and make deals with locals. Their favorite tactic is to hand locals the tools to extract the resources they need and then make lopsided deals to extract those resources, then leave the area. The only exception is Smokepowder, the Company has been trying desperately to find a solution to the import of smokepowder and cutting of the Ryuugani monopoly on the resource. They are using tactics of embargo with Ryuugoku and also trying to completely monopolize all smokepowder plantations and trade in the powder coast. Cantia manufacture is the highest quality in Ao, specially Cantian ships, firearms and cannons find no match in quality and power. The Company keeps armies of artificers on contract and their industry surrounds the manufacture of weapons of war and ships. They cannot defeat Andalusia in quantity but they can do so in quality.Goverment
The Company is lead by a rich aristrocarcy of Dwarves and Gnomes with executive officer titles, the vast majority of them have Royal titles as well as Kings or Queens of their own lands but those have become secondary to that of executive officers within the Company. At this time the board is composed of 7 Dwarf (all Kings), 9 Gnome (5 of them kings of their own) officers and one High Esran Orc (Unofficial King of Mask). Every 5 years the board stablishes a 5 year plan and votes for a CEO to lead it, this is a very coveted title and every 5 years there is a lot of power moves, but once voted in CEOs are often both efficient and safe on their title. The Company wants to be effective above everything, they support their CEO but also have no fear of voting it out if they fail or operate unfairly at any point.Inhabitants
Officially social mobility in Cantia is directly related to how much money a citizen can generate. Joining and going up in ranks within the Company is matter of pure economical power and any race from any background can find a way up it. The reality is that the top of the all business is run by Dwarves first, Gnomes second and every other race after them. There is a strong sense of camederie among the two races, and while is not impossible to run a business in Cantia while being of other race, you wil be hard pressed to find any real support and find Dwarves and Gnomes of the rank economical power finding it much easier to close deals and rise up the ranks.Esro people
Most of half-orcs and humans from northen Cantia call themselves Esro, or Esran Peoples, rather than *orc* or *human.* Esro was the old kingdom in the north Mask Isles and Tarruk that was overtaken and absorbed by Cantian Kingdoms long ago. *Orc* is seen as a derogatory term used by Cantians similar to Maelkin. Some Dwarves and Gnomes use “Orc” interchangeably for humans, half-orcs or orcs.High Orcs (High Esran)
High orcs are a subset of orcs original from the north east of Cantia, they are similar to the common orcs and half-orcs but they are far less numerous, all albino white skinned and red eyed. While uncommon, any offspring from orc or half-orc parents has a chance to be born a High Orc; and any family that does often considers itself blessed. High Orcs have many advantages in society compared to other habitants of the cold north; they are worshipped not only among their own people but other countries also see them above the common orc and human, even the Andalusians see the High Orcs as similar to their own White Bulls, which are the chosen of their Goddess, allowing citizenship to those that prove themselves loyal to the empire. Indeed many high orcs go far in life, becoming leaders in their own lands or given high positions of employment for the Company or other nations. The Company recognizes the sway these orcs have, and some rise very high up within the Company. (Indeed the only non dwarf or gnome member of the board is a High Esran that acts as the unofficial King of the isles of Mask.)Ryuugani peoples
There are many communities of Ryuugani refugees and immigrants that have settled in Cantia. The Company greets all of them and grants them a lot of social support to stablish themselves and make business. A Ryuugani engineer, artificer or arcane researcher will find themselves with no lack of lucrative business oportunities and free services to keep them and be absorbed within the Company.Religion
Pulphir is the patron god of Cantia but many worship Harakeesh for dangerous ventures, as well as Erathis when stablishing settlements in difficult lands. The Esro people believe that their one pantheon of Gods was trapped in the underworld by Pulphir and his siblings, a source of a great unhealable schism inside the nation.Military
Cantia holds the secrets of Antiguan artificer techniques very closely and a lot of their ships have artificers on board to use arcane forces to heal their ship or enchant cannons with powerful arcane magic. Esro warriors are famous for their feriocity in battle and affinity for sailing, smaller bands of Esran sailors have been known to take on bigger targets and there’s many stories of pirate bands of Esran taking on big Andalusian galleons in the powder coast.Opinions
Andalusian EmpireNever forget, whoever sweet the word of their diplomats, however many deals they take from us, if not for our superior navy these beasts would raid and destroy our land. It is time to weaken them further and eliminate the threat completely. Kingdom of Urquessa
Excellent clients best kept at very long distance. We must convince them that their operations in the New World are inefficient for the status quo of the continent; they should come to us if they want goods shipped across the Maelstorm, perhaps some pressure must be applied to make them understand. Jovian Free States
While we have a lot of gain from their mercenaries, maps and excursions deep into the new continent, lately a lot of their bands have become criminals predating on our honorable merchants. Perhaps it is time they are taught a lesson. Ryuugoku
The biggest friend we never needed and can now completely ignore. Keep an eye out, but the way to topple them will be to archive absolute control in the New World. Republic of Abiria
They serve a great distraction for the Ryuugani, and so we call them friends, now, if only they would be reasonable about our outpost in the east life would be much simpler. New World
Never has there been a bigger chance to become independent of the Ryuugani. Now more than ever we must leverage our every resource, forge alliances and ruthlessly dominate the Sea of Braves. The Company will prevail.
Type
Political, International
Capital
Head of State
Government System
Corporatocracy
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Market economy
Neighboring Nations
Comments