Breland
According to the Book:
Breland, one of the original Five Nations founded by the human settlers of Khorvaire, mixes a proud agricultural tradition with a more urban and industrial outlook, especially in its massive cities. As with the other Five Nations, Breland’s borders have fluctuated over time. It was named for King Galifar I’s daughter, Brey, in the year 32 YK. During the reign of Galifar’s last king, Wroann ir’Wynarn governed the nation. King Jarot’s youngest daughter, Wroann was the exact opposite of her twin brother, Wrogar of Aundair. She was thin and agile, serious, and a lover of the finer things in life. She also cherished freedom above all things, and promised to make Breland a place where people would be judged by word and deed instead of social class. When Jarot died, Wroann broke with her twin regarding the line of succession. Instead of supporting Mishann of Cyre’s claim to the throne, Wroann gathered her vassals and declared her own intention to rule the kingdom. Ironically, the freedom-loving nation of Breland was one of the key instigators of the Last War, for her leader wanted to spread her ideas of liberty and increased democracy to all by force and sword. The current ruler of Breland, King Boranel ir'Wynarn has ruled Breland since 961 YK and proudly signed the Treaty of Thronehold to help end the Last War. In his time, Boranel has led his army into battle for six major engagements with enemy forces, participated in two quests to Xen’drik, and personally fought the Droaam champion to end a particularly long and bloody period of conflict between the two nations. Today, Breland stands as one of the most powerful nations of Khorvaire. With a large population and a robust industrial center, Breland could have continued fighting the Last War for many years. Indeed, some believe it could eventually have won the war. King Boranel, however, grew tired of constant battle. He longed for the peace of a united Galifar, a peace unknown in his lifetime. When an opportunity presented itself to forge a new peace, Boranel put his enthusiasm and powerful force of presence behind the effort. He has negotiated a separate treaty with Zilargo, making the gnomish nation his staunchest ally in the postwar environment. He has a grudging respect for Kaius, King of Karrnath, but that respect is tempered by a feeling of uneasiness he gets whenever he’s in the man’s presence. As much as he loves and respects the Aundairian people, Boranel doesn’t trust the flowery words that spill from the ambitious Queen Aurala ir’Wynarn's pretty mouth. Tension also exists between Breland and Thrane; the theocracy to the north may bend its knee to a lawful good god, but it has a reputation for aggressively spreading its beliefs by sword and spell. Breland continues to engage in skirmishes with the warbands of Droaam. The monster clans regularly test the borders and make raids into western Breland, and Breland intelligence believes that a sizable force infests the Graywall Mountains. In the south, the Brelish navy works to keep the sea lanes safe from pirates. Though the navy suspects that the pirates have ties to the Lhazzar Principalities's princes, no definitive proof has been uncovered—at least not since the Thronehold Accords went into effect.Description & Geography
Breland is one of the Five Nations of central Khorvaire. It lies in the southwest of the continent, enjoying one of the largest areas of the nations and territories. Breland is a mix of open farmland, woodland, and sprawling metropolises, the largest and most famous of which is Sharn. The lightning rail originates out of Sharn and from there travels across Breland and out to the other nations of Khorvaire, while House Orien roadways branch out to more remote locations among the countryside. Breland occupies a large swath of land nestled between Zilargo to the east and Droaam to the west while sharing its northern border with the Eldeen Reaches and Aundair, and even touches Darguun and The Mournland in its far eastern area. The Straits of Shargon stab into Breland with the Dagger River, while the Graywall Mountains in the west prevent monstrous invasions from Droaam. Other geographic boundaries are Lake Brey, Silver Lake, Lake Galifar and the Blackcaps to the north, and the Howling Peaks and the The King's Forest to the east.Breland After The Last War
An economic juggernaught, Breland could have continued the Last War almost forever, but was eager to take part in the peace treaty of 996 YK. Because Breland had suffered relatively little from the war, and ended up losing much of its territory to the new states of Zilargo, Droaam and the Shadow Marches, military experts are unsure as to why King Boranel pushed so strongly for peace. The offical statement - that King Boranel felt his citizens had grown tired of war - certainly fits with his "cuddly" public image, but has caused some controversy within the populace. The most societally significant aspect of the post-war was Breland's immediate liquidation of most of its military. Army and navy forces alike sacked an unbelievable 90% of their personnel as soon as it was clear they no longer needed them, far beyond that of any other nation. Although the Brelish crown has always been characterized by small government, this caused an unprecedented surge in unemployment. The war had gone on for 102 years; entire generations of humans had no professional expertise outside of war. Even civilians and longer-lived races had built business models entirely out of the war industry. This has led to unprecedented rushes of citizenry into Breland's urban centres, especially the "city of opportunity" Sharn. However, the "muscle market" is extremely oversaturated, and the only jobs left tend to be difficult, dangerous or degrading. Few of them pay more than hand-to-mouth wages. Violent crime has skyrocketed all over the country, especially in Sharn, as thousands of professionally-trained veterans have no other way to make ends meet. Another side effect of all this has been a dramatic spike in prejudice within the nation's cities. Though Breland has long had a reputation for tolerance, many of the urban poor have become bitter at seeing jobs taken up by foreigners and minorities - Cyran refugees and warforged, in particular. The nationalism expressed by many Cyrans is seen by many as ingratitude after Breland took them in following the Mourning. Warforged, in contrast, do not need to eat, tire slowly, require no sleep and often have little care for possessions. Resultantly, many work for very low wages, and are seen as taking jobs from "real people."Government & Politics:
King Boranel (male human) rules Breland. A direct descendant of the independent nation of Breland’s first leader, Wroann, daughter of Jarot, Boranel carries on the traditions of both Galifar and the Brelish crown. A monarchy, Breland also has a partially elected parliament that works alongside the king and the royal court to govern the country. The parliament makes the laws in Breland, the crown enforces them. The crown also conducts all business related to foreign affairs and national security, sometimes informing the parliament, more often not. The people of Breland love their king, his vassal lords respect and even revere him, and the parliament sees him as fair and just. It is said that the people of Breland will follow Boranel anywhere, and this has been demonstrated many times in the course of his thirty-seven-year reign. As Boranel gets older, concerns revolving around succession begin to manifest. One plan, mostly discussed quietly and in secret, suggests that the nation abandon the monarchy after Boranel’s death and turn over more power and authority to the parliament. Another plan hopes that one of Boranel’s children will fi ll the vacuum and become a leader in the same vein as his or her father. So far, none of the heirs has demonstrated more than a passing ability at ruling the nation. To further spread the tenets of democracy, Breland regularly holds town meetings throughout the realm. At these meetings, the common folk are recognized and allowed to state their opinions for the crown and parliament to hear.
Type
Political, International
Neighboring Nations
