Barisea (/Behr-i-see/)
History and Government
No nation has seen a more sudden expansion of power than the island-country of Barisea. Once inhabiting a meager few islands near The Protectorate-Commonwealth's coast, Barisea's reach has come to grip all reaches of the world, primarily as a result of The Grand Sea War against Delos'Nordan in the late Age of Enlightenment. Since this victory, Barisea has become the world's foremost naval trade power, dominating the shipping of riches from Pharos to Kcalsbury and even beyond. The beginnings of Barisea's rise to power stem from the Admiral's Coup. Once a self-subsistent and isolationist republic, the nation saw a growing military threat from the consolidating Commonwealth. The colonization of southern Arberia by its neighbor's protectorates opened up the idea of riches abroad, and resulted in a uniform policy line of naval expansion among all parties in the Constituent Assembly. This expansion would spiral and bankrupt the country with few colonial gains beyond the fledgeling province of New Barisea. Faced with economic crisis, the Assembly would attempt to strip away the navy's excess spending, resulting in a coup and the ascension of the Lord-Admirals, generals who instated themselves as a de facto nobility, and who took direct control over the positions of the Constituent Assembly. With the crisis amplifying, the Lord-Admirals found themselves in charge of an ailing state. Suggestions were floated for confederation with the Protectorate-Commonwealth in exchange for a bail-out, but their Emperor refused, worried about the island's economic state and instability. Lowering naval costs was fully out of the question, as over half of the nation was at least indirectly employed by the military. A secondary coup was launched a fortnight after the first, resulting in the complete disintegration of the Constituent Assembly and the ascension of Lord-Grand-Admiral Keffrey Nelson as absolute ruler. Nelson was an ardent nationalist, who'd long pushed for a war with the Commonwealth to demonstrate Barisea's growing might. Such a war would not come, but another would - with Delos'Nordan. Immediately after seizing control and demanding loyalty, Nelson declared a war against the High Elven empire, dubbing him a madman in the eyes of many in the nation. Several coups and revolts were attempted in response, but crushed, and the rest is a tale of legend: a combination of newly-discovered gunpowder from Kai'Rin, steamships and ironclads, and the very excesses which had brought the nation to bankruptcy had also brought it stunning victories at sea, claiming Delos'Nordan's outlying islands one-by-one.Cities
Barisea
Barisea is the capital of Barisea, a relatively new city on an island conquered during The Grand Sea War. The Barisean central government has moved here, and so has much of its populace, as a total of a million people now inhabit the island, at least half of which are inside the city's official bounds. Traders, too, often come to Barisea, further amplifying the size of the population. In many ways, Barisea serves as the central hub of the world - an honor that Arberia once occupied - as those traveling between Pharos and Kcalsbury by sea will often pass through it, and most trade routes originate or end in its ports.Old Barisea
Old Barisea, known as Barisea before the founding of the new capital, resides on an island of the same name. The island boasts a population of several million, but the city itself only holds a couple hundred thousand at any time. Unlike its replacement, Old Barisea is not a major trade port, as most trade to and from Kcalsbury flows through The Protectorate-Commonwealth or Fyra.Geography
Barisea boasts a high variance in its ecology, rooted in the fact that it occupies over a dozen islands. North of Pharos, where its new capital lies, the isles tend to be temperate throughout the summer, with sparse forests and grassy lowlands, typically around a central peak, where the land grows more hilly. In the winter, the seas freeze over and make travel more difficult, but the Barisean navy is employed full-time to clear large icebergs and other dangerous obstacles, freed from its pirate-hunting duties by the scoundrel's cowardice towards sailing rough seas. To Pharos' east, the islands tend to be small, and primarily exist as fortresses. Most are naturally rocky and easy to defend, while the larger ones have had their native jungle biomes fully cleared and eradicated. The seas here can be rough, and storms and massive waves are common, leading to sturdy stonework and expansive underwater drainage systems, where the water can flow out of Barisean construction and back into the sea. The seas noticeably settle in the Sea of Stars, where Port Solitude and Port Calm serve as important trade checkpoints where travelers can rest before continuing their journey west or east. These islands have been fully tamed, and almost every inch is covered by street or buildings. The colony of New Barisea is part-savannah, part-desert, and the turbulent seas return in the Sea of Waves, where Old Barisea lies. Here, the islands are largely flat farmlands, though forests are significantly more prominent in the Far Isles and New South Port, which have only recently been colonized.Resources
Barisea has a few natural resources within its borders which it personally exploits. Among these are rare spice goods, including fennel seeds, tobacco, allspice, sugar and coconut. These are valued all throughout the world, though there is little space to grow them on Barisea's islands and they remain a relatively rare commodity. Most of Barisea's fortune is based upon being the central hub of other nations' trade, profiting off of high taxes, tariffs, and tolls, which it is capable of doing because of its strong presence on the seas. It is, however, largely self-subsistent, as those who don't have active employment by the navy are typically farmers, either in Old Barisea or new. Some fear that Barisea may become a nation fully reliant upon its trade, which could lead to disaster should war arise. Partly to remedy this issue, Barisea has been one of the first nations to embrace industrialization, and the capital island itself is slowly becoming a stronghold for production of raw goods - especially textiles and processed metals - which further demonstrate that the nation is here to stay, and not simply on death's doorstep the moment its control over naval shipping wavers. Shipbuilding is also quite large in Barisea, both from timber and iron stores. Most of its lumber is imported from the Kcalsbury Continent, though it has historically purchased Devanian wood, before the civil war. Iron primarily comes from Montbay, with which Barisea has a close alliance and trade treaty, providing gunpowder and technological expertise in return.Ethnicities
The islands which encompass the lands now called "Old Barisea" are the origin-place of the Bariseans, which have a close relation to the Norskolt and the Gults. The islands in new Barisea were once homelands of the High Elves, though they have long been exiled (through Barisean policy, or of their own volition) back to the mainlands of Delos'Nordan. The islands south of Montbay which are owned by Barisea are historically the domain of the Valsh, and some still live there.Diplomacy
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"Seaward Behemoth"
Adjectives: Barisean
National Animal: Dolphin
National Instrument: Flute
Ethnicities: Bariseans, Valsh
Languages: Barisean, Human Common (Modern Gultic and Pharosian Gultic), West Old-Tongue (Valsh)
Capital:
Government: Military Rulership
Hallmarks: Naval supremacy, international trade, industrialization, gunpowder
Characteristics: Proud, disciplined, frugal, crude
National Animal: Dolphin
National Instrument: Flute
Ethnicities: Bariseans, Valsh
Languages: Barisean, Human Common (Modern Gultic and Pharosian Gultic), West Old-Tongue (Valsh)
Capital:
- Barisea (current)
- Old Barisea (historical)
Government: Military Rulership
Hallmarks: Naval supremacy, international trade, industrialization, gunpowder
Characteristics: Proud, disciplined, frugal, crude