Vestel Kingdom
Structure
The Vestel Kingdom is a simply structured nation compared to many others within Essterac. Most power is centralized under the Royal Family and its administrators with its nobility based on land ownership and simple management.
Military
Either as a result of the kingdom's values or its faith in its position, the Vestel Kingdom does not have the most noteworthy military. Most of the kingdom's military forces are centralized under the Royal Family in its Royal Army with its nobles allowed to employ small numbers of knights or mercenaries based on the rank they hold.
The Royal Army of the Vestel Kingdom is divided into fouir main branches; the Crownguard, the Kingsblade, the Townwatch and the General Army. The Crownsguard acts as the shield of the Royal Family, answering only to them. Their primary focus is less on full scale combat and on simply defending the bloodline of the Royal Family. If the Crownsguard is the Royal Family's shield than the Kingsblade is, as the name implies, the blade it uses to strike. Small in number yet greatly more skilled than the rest of the Royal Army, the Kingsblade act as the hands of the Royal Family. These few elites are granted the authority to command the Townwatch and the General Army as they see fit to accomplish their missions and often serve as commanders during important conflicts and crises. As the name implies the Townwatch are small military forces that serve as both the police and defenders of the various towns and cities of the Vestel Kingdom. The Townwatch are rarely if ever tasked with leaving their designated settlements and answer to both the Royal Family as well as the local nobility, so long as they do not contradict that is. And last but not least is the General Army, the largest of the four branches. The General Army is simply that, a sizeable standing army that specializes mostly in large scale conflicts. Though the Vestel Kingdom itself has not been at war in centuries, when called upon by the Soveril Empire to defend against the Armora Territories or take part in its continental conflicts, it is the General Army that moves into action.
Religion
For as long as any within the Vestel Kingdom can remember the state religion of the kingdom has been the Verdant Faith, the religion dedicated to Inar the Goddess of Nature. That being said most settlements within the kingdom house temples dedicated to no specific deity, allowing for the worship of any within its hallowed walls. Only the major cities hold temples of the Verdant Faith.
In addition to the Verdant Faith rumors often speak of several cults and forgotten faiths that are hidden within the Kindom's lands however both the ruler and nobility of the kingdom as well as the Grand Temple's own investigators have failed to find any evidence to such things.
Foreign Relations
Throughout Southern Essterac the Vestel Kingdom typcially holds positive relations with other organizations. This is largely due to the kingdom's abundance of agricultral products and the other party's reliance on their exports. As such most organizations work to remain on the kingdom's good side, something strenghtened by the royal families standing policy of cooperation and even friendship with those they engage with.
Agriculture & Industry
Within all of Southern Essterac and perhaps the whole of the continent itself few nations produce as much food as the Vestel Kingdom. Centuries of vast bountiful harvests have long cemented the kingdom's position as an agricutrual powerhouse within the continent. Whether its from the vast rolling hills of grains that give the kingdom its nickname, to the Lush Woods known for its abundance of fruits and syrup producing trees, to the bountiful farmlands of its nobles and commonfolk, food can be found in abundance throughout the kingdom.
Education
Though not nearly as advanced as their neighbors to the north, the education level of the common people of the Vestel Kingdom is not nonexistent. The people of the kingdom are taught basic skills such as reading, writing, and arithmatic by either their parents or by tutors under the service of the kingdom's nobles that hold public lessons during winter. Beyond those basics only scholars, nobles and those seeking more knowledge orientated ocupations attempt further their education.
Potentially as a result of bordering a nation of scholars and free flowing knowledge, there are nearly no actual restrictions towards who can recieve and education and how much they can learn. Even the poorest orphans are permitted to learning as much as a noble could. The primary issue simply lies in how one can recieve greater education in the first place.
Founding Date
Pre Sundering
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
Kingdom of the Golden Sea, The Kingdom of Plenty
Demonym
Vestian
Leader
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Gazetteer
Settlements
Capital - Autyr Fortress City - Stonewall Trade City - Emelle Trade City - Timberhorn Caerhill The Lush Woods - moderately sized forest rich in fruits, sap-producing trees, and wild animals The Broken Hills - A series of hills with ruins and debris embedded in them. Thought to be the home of a long forgotten great city Araellus Road - The main road stretching across the entire Kingdom
Major Exports
Taking advantage of its abundance in agricultrual goods the Vestel Kingdom sells its foods all across Southern Essterac to nations, businesses and individuals alike. In any given settlement or nation of Southern Essterac 35-65% of the food found there was exported from the Vestel Kingdom. Whether its common grains or products found only within the kingdom, there is always a sizeable demand of food from the Vestel Kingdom
Major Imports
Though abundant in agriculture, the Vestel Kingdom is lacking in regards to metal and stone. Throughout the kingdom their is only one noteworthy mine under the control of the kingdom's royal family. To help meet the demands of the kingdom the materials, either in the raw or worked forms, are imported from the allies and reputable merchant companies.
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Location
Neighboring Nations
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