Kingdom of Urquessa

The kingdom of Urquessa is a tiefling lead kingdom south east of Andalusia. The kingdom is lead by a council of powerful rich nobels with intrique interdependencies and constant in-fighting. Urquessa is a land of luxury and debauchery, favor at court is won by the most extravagant displays of abundance and power. To be Urquessan is to always be aiming higher, apparent power is often better than real power in the appearance centered nation. Urquessa is a land forged by deals of power with is supernatural patron Urquess, this power seeps from the high council further down into every aspect of Urquessan society. Urquessa is the nation with the most powerful arcane users; their research is vastly rewarded and they are almost never limited by laws or morals.

Geography

Urquessa is located in the Mountainous center of west Antigua. The capital Malamont is located in an icy valley high up in the mountains south of the dormant volcano by the same name. Malamont is a palace the size of city, with halls upon halls of luxurious apartments, businesses and countless ballrooms.
The various mountain passes into Urquessa all lead to Malamont and are all heavily protected with ancient rituals and spells. Entering and moving within Urquessa is a dangerous ordeal, even to the locals. Each local lord protects their lands with their own powerful spells, often with the intend to harm neighbors Urquessan or otherwise.
The south of Urquessa is a fertile land of river basins with multiple towns that all work to support the in-hospitable capital. To the east there is the Jovian coast, where multiple settlements are under the direct control of Urquessa.
Recently Urquessa has obtained control over Sestessa, the previous capital of Jovia, expanding its reaches into the Jovian islands and its control of the south of the Amethyst road.

Economy

The economy of Urquessa is based on the extraction of resources from their various client states. This is fueled by the pressures of each noble to show up with more extravagant “prizes” taken from anywhere in Ao. The luckiest of client state relationships is where the noble is distant or uses the land only as a title to show off; but most are not as lucky and the noble will systematically suck every inch of resources or workforce from a land, making slaves of the population and selling them off when there is nothing else to extract.
Slavery is an integral part of Urquessan society, with multiple types of contracts and systems to promote, maintain and improve slave labor. There are numerous types of slaves and they are not all treated wrongly. In fact the most expensive slaves can find themselves living lives of luxury, as walking examples of their master’s extravagance. Slavery in Urquessa is not racial, no one is free of the risk falling under indentured service and it is not uncommon for business deals to include such services as collateral.
While Urquessa has remained behind when it comes to the naval and smokepowder revolutions of the last couple of generations, a race to the top is brewing, as the first few colonies in the new world have started sending ship after ship of luxurious goods back to the ever hungry nation. The most audacious of Urquessans are growing rich overnight, their efforts placed on clandestine operations spawning continents.

Government

The government of Urquessa is lead by the Dread Council, a cabal of 9 members of the most powerful nobles in the land. The seats are sources of vast powers and members of the dread council have almost total impunity on how they treat those bellow themselves; but the power is not without its constraints, along with it the members are held by ancient contracts to a set of responsibilities to the nation, the people (tieflings) and their God Urquess. These rules are all stipulated under the Dread contract, an extensive document which only the army of lawyers in Malamont are in full understanding.
Apart from the council and their powers to take nationwide decisions, each noble has its own lands to manage and defend. The governmental system of Urquess is the most feudal of them all; the lords working almost in complete independence from each other; only paying taxes to the Dread Council. Each Dreadlord of the council
Representatives, officers and even armies all work under specific lords; often in rivalry or open war with members of other lord’s retinues.

History

Urquessa was formed when a powerful mage mortal called Urquess obtained powers over death after tricking the God of Death. Urquess created a group of followers, the very first dread council, that quickly and forcefully expanded their influence throughout Antigua. It is a secret where Urquess is now, rumors say it remains in Malamont, deep in the caves systems of the capital, feeding off of the volcano and the powerful magic its followers give unto him.
Urquessa has classically been happy to remain in its closed off and protected ballrooms of Malamont, extracting the world’s wealth through city states and contracts that never leverage anything of true importance to them; but lately this is changing. Many lords on the rise have been starting to state real claims of the worlds and expanding the lands that are considered Urquessa.
Bon Vissau is one such case, where the new world nation, once merely an outpost to organize the extraction of gold and sugarcane from Ilsiria has grown to a fully grown city that grows self-sufficient with every passing year.
The other example the recently conquered Sestessa, which puppet government is a step farther than the usual deals with city states that Urquessa makes. The lands of west jovia are all falling under direct control of Urquessan nobles, and in the free for all a new generation of landed lords is being created out of thin air and jovian blood.

Inhabitants

The majority of the peoples of Urquessa are Tieflings (most of which would never use that word and refer to themselves, and rather use the word Urquessan). While human tieflings are the most common, Morklings (minotaur and satyr), Fey-ri(elf), Tanarukk(orc), Wisplings(hafling) and Maeluths(dwarven) all have places in Urquessan society and all find themselves with equal opportunity to rise and fall within the ranks of Urquessan nobility.
Elves, humans and the small races are also part of Urquessan society, but are considered Weakbloods. It is fine to employ and entertain yourself with them, but a serious union is uncommon and potentially dangerous weakness that can be exploided by rivals. While scientifically untrue, Urquessans believe that the children of Tiefling and Weakblood unions are weaker and less likely to be of the blood; so most shun such unions.
Minotaurs, Satyrs, Dwarves and Gnomes are considered Peoples Of The Blood; since common folklore believes them to be of the same divine blood as Urquess obtained. While less discriminated against than Weakbloods, there’s very little room in Urquessa for non citizens and it would be very strange to find any of them that are not slaves in Urquessa.

Religion

It is said an Urquessan will pray to whatever God is most convenient at the moment; Urquessan laws protect the free worship of any religion within its borders. It is not uncommon to find Andalusian refugees among the border towns, who would flee Andalusian harsh persecutions of unsanctioned religions. To the noble Urquessan worship is a calculated trade of power; and priesthood is another type of research into the rules of power of Ao.

"The devout Urquessan knows the most convenient deity to pray for each occasion"

The worship of Urquess is more of a philosophy in life and a decision to operate within the constrains of the Dread Contract in order to obtain power through it. Urquess does not demand nor prohibit worship to him; instead he demands the sacrifice of arcane power, through items, distillation of powerful beings or complicated blood rituals; and in exchange grants its followers powerful otherwise unattainable spells, undying life and positions of power within Urquessa.
The priests of Urquess operate as lawyers and justices, and can authorize and enforce contracts. The Church keeps the record of all contracts done within the Kingdom. Conversely any contract not filed with the Church of Urquess is considered null and unbinding in Urquessa.

Military

No other military has as powerful arcane casters as Urquessa, within it an elite group of magicians practice tattoo magic the art of using their own bodies as spellbooks to store and later use spells in combat. All officers and higher ranking military personnel are also spellcasters of some form or the other.
The bulk of Urquessa’s army is made of slaves (controlled in creative ways) and the odd mercenary group, but among them there are the knights of the Red Order, a military for hire made of Tanarukks (tiefling orcs) that are bred and trained for war since birth.

Opinions

Andalusian Empire
War; always war with Andalusia. Either in the shadows, by proxy or in the border when things get bad enough. Andalusians have learned that every inch of Urquessa's mountainous arcanely protected land is far costlier than they are willing to pay for.
Kingdoms of Cartia
Keep their greedy hands occupied with Ryuugoku and you’ll be able to steal control from right under their noses.
Ryuugoku
The slumber giant is dumb and its secrets leak out like there’s no tomorrow. Bring a bucket and gobble it all up.
Albiria
Over eager and naive, the goblin “republic” is ripe for manipulation. Powder magic is interesting but volatile with limited applications. Conduct more experiments.
Jovia
Mine.
New World
A fancy new playground, full of delicious new toys and marvels. Take it all. Perhaps is time to play the smokepowder game.

Ao    Antiguan Things    Antiguan Nations      Kingdom of Urquessa

Capital

Malamont

Head of State

Dread Council

Government System

Magocracy

Neighboring Nations

• Andalusian Empire
• Honorable East Jovian Company

The Dread Contract

Urquessa was created when their god Urquess signed a contract with the God of Death. The so called Dread Contract permeates all life in Urquessa, and feeds the powerful magics that can be done within. At its most basic level it grants all tieflings extended life and minimal arcane powers, making them live longer lifes of 300 to 500 years and able to cast innate spells. The more power a citizen of Urquessa obtains, and the more involved they become with the Dread Contract, the more their lifespan is extended to the point that members of the Dread Council, the highest authority in Urquessa, are believed to be ageless and immune to death by most natural causes.
This undying magic is in conflict with other sources of near immortality, making liches, vampires or other forms of undying not a common sight in Urquessan high society. While independent contractors of this type do operate within the nation, any of them that archieves too much influence or worse becomes a land owners, will find themselves with the whole of Urquessan society as an enemy; since allowing for power to exist outside of the Dread Contract is about the only sin that rules the Tiefling nation.
Any non-tiefling can sign into the Dread Contract, and through painful rituals become Tieflings themselves and a citizen of Urquessa. This type of immigration is very welcomed, since most of this conversion services come with contracts that estipulate services to the lord that provides them.

Warlocks

The Infernal patron of the Warlock class is usually only found within Urquessa and through the Dread Contract; Urquess having the highest and practically only authority to grant power from the Underworld. In Urquessa, being a Warlock is a privilege that only la creme de la creme can obtain. Known as Urquess' Chosen this group of elite citizens are hand picked by priests of Urquess from a pool of applicants and receive the unique powers and responsibilities of a Warlock. With the powers comes high prestige in Urquessan society and the warlocks of every generation are the center of countless power moves within the prestige crazed society.

The Red Order

Ordre de Sainte Martinne du Sang

A group of Urquessan knights under the Marquis Martinne Du Sang who hires, breed, enslaves, train and transforms orcs and other lesser races for war them and makes Tanaruuk and other super soldiers. The recluse Du Sang has lived this long by remaining neutral in the politics of the realm and selling his soldiers to anyone with coin.
Red Order knights undergo multiple soul binding rituals that both give them impressive powers but also brain wash their mind into super obedient soldiers. They pledge their souls to Urquess, Du Sang and the Order. A Red Knight follows orders to the letter, obedient until death to the holder of their contracts; superseded only by officers of the Order or Du Sang himself.
All Red Order contracts expire, and any treachery planned towards Du Sang is reported without fail.
“A Red Order knight has far worse things to fear other than death.” - Red Order sales representative.