Laidros
The power of the old world, Laidros has been picking fights with its neighbors since time immemorial. Perhaps the second oldest nation in the world, its church is the most powerful in modernity. Though that has faded in recent years.
Believing that those who live virtuously in life, be they god or mortal, will become the stewards of the afterlife and watch over the living has provided a seed of hope and goodwill that has pulled the nation through a great deal of turmoil. Famines. Sickness. War. The hope that those they lost had reached their heaven, and that they themselves would reach it in the end, kept them going and still does to this day.
As much good it has done them, it has done an equal amount of harm. Used as the lynchpin to incite the populace on repeated occasions, it has pulled the country into war multiple times. Either by riling up the populace to the point of them striking out against the neighbors and causing several atrocities or by getting the monarch to think war was a good idea. It certainly hasn't earned them any friends. But it has gotten them land, wealth, and power.
A portion of which goes to the church. A large portion. Well, went to the church. And they miss it something fierce.
This has lead to the countries power being split between the king and his pantheon and the church and it's saints. Saints being the church's term for gods and goddesses in their employ. Usually, the two get along. Over the last 70 years, they have developed a more contentious relationship, the main issues being cited by observers being the loss of power the church has suffered.
The current king has broken from the nations traditional faith for reasons unknown, and seems to actively stand against the church. His policies favor the people, however, and thus they side with him in most matters. His generals are his strength, and the military has undergone an impressive modernization campaign, though it has furthered the schism and brought it to the military level, with the officer corp now split between royalists and those nicknamed 'chaplains' by the rest of the army.
Structure
At one point the crown and the church stood side by side, integrated in their authority. Some church officials even having equal power to certain government officials, and with the High Cardinal being just below the king. It hasn't been this way for more than a century, much to the church's ire.
Now church officials have almost no real power at all. Only able to affect those that let themselves be affected, and the king seems quite happy to keep it that way. Even going so far as to send police and agents of the crown to break up church functions attempting to consolidate any sort of political power. Obviously, this widens the growing political crisis, but who can truly dissuade a king.
As things stand, Laidros is a classical monarchy in most respects, with high-ranking military officials (promoted through merit, not commission) sitting directly below the king. Followed closely by the nobles. Below that are the lowborn government workers, but the gap between them and the nobility is growing smaller every year.
Culture
Most Laidrians are of a patriotic temperament, devoted to the country they were born in. Helped by the kings social programs and drive to cultivate such an idea. Straightforward and unglamorous, many Laidrians have a distaste for pomp and circumstance. Not that they don't like to celebrate, or don't adhere to tradition, they most certainly do. They just like to do things their own way, and are not likely to respect the ways others do things.
They are also a very hands on people, with a particular outlook to provide for ones self, through ones own work. They don't like people 'above them' breathing down their neck, and are far more likely to respect someone who has given them a reason to than someone born to the idea.
A few decades prior, they would have also been a faith driven people, but most of that has fallen away as time has crawled forward. Leaving behind the vestiges of dedication. The schism between the crown and the church has eliminated most of the moderates as well, with your average person either being vehemently opposed to the church, with little to no faith at all, or fiercely loyal to the church.
History
The origin of the church is a point of contention between historians, many of which don't even like talking about the subject anymore due to its connotations.
The most commonly accepted origin, despite its dubious truth, is the idea of Saint Celairia, who is said to have appeared to the founding members to teach them what would eventually become the churches doctrine and the bedrock of its beliefs. Despite her never having been seen outside of the mind's eye, she has become an icon within the church. Her visage adorning many stained glass windows, and carved doorways.
Such an account is only accepted by historians in the face of no other viable option. They continue to search for the truth, but no progress has been made for a very long time. There was a time, a few centuries back, when the church touted about a woman they claimed to be Celairia herself for a short time. Winged form and all, and identical to all the depictions the church had put forward.
They quickly reversed their position, however, instead claiming she was nothing but a pretender, and she disappeared from the public eye. King Abel's great grandfather, Hannibal, put a great deal of money and resources to track her down, but it's like she vanished without a trace. Every once in a while, someone claims to see someone else that looks like her, though they are usually dismissed.
Under the Eyes of Those Before Us
The Laidrian flag is a dark grey field with a trio of silver wolves done in silver piping.
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Laidrian
Leader
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Missi; a paper note colored black and silver. Only possible due to a chemical technique developed by a god.
Related Traditions
Controlled Territories
Related Items
Notable Members
Comments