Grand Duchy of Equitaine
Equitaine is the most recently conquered member state in the Empire of Aquilon. An agrarian land of Chivlary reknowned for it's skilled cavalry and fuedal economy. Considered an uncultured and backward province by other imperials.
Ruled by Grand Duke Bohemond de Bastonne
The major provinces of Equitaine are:
- La Roche
- La Marche
- Valois
- Merovin
- Averlain Equitaine was formerly it's own kingdom, established by humans from the south as the Elves of Alfaen abandoned settlements on the continent and retreated across the sea. Many of the modern settlements are founded on ancient Elven ruins, and remnants of their tenure still stand in out-of-the-way places. The loyalty of the provinces was tenuous, however, and there is a long history of armed clashes between the various regions. The land was never truly united until the armies of Aquilon first invaded a little over 100 years ago. Playing the various factions against each other, the Aquilonians eventually subdued the region around 1815 and brought it into the empire. There have been various regional uprisings since then, the largest of which were the Errantry War in 1844 (which was the last time the entire country rose up as one nation) and the Affair of the False Grail in 1870, in which certain nobles from the province of Averlain attempted to expel the Church of Pelor from Equitaine entirely. As a result of that affair, most of the noble families of Averlain were executed for heresy and that province is now goverened by the Archbishop of the Church of Pelor in Vyones. The last serious challenge to Aquilonian rule was an attempted coup against the Duke of Bastonne in 1884, but it was swiftly put down. Since then, those nobles wishing to restore the old kingship have been greatly outnumbered by those who prefer to try their luck social-climbing within the hierarchy of the empire.
TIMELINE: History of Equitaine and the Aquilonian Empire
While the provincial capitals are relatively cultured and integrated into the Empire, the countryside is almost like a different world. Literacy outside the cities is almost nonexistent, and many of the peasants and common folk speak traditional Ecquois rather than Imperial Common. The Church of Pelor has established itself firmly among the populace, but many Ecquois concurrently express devotion to the Lady of the Lake, and many of the churches are actually converted grail chapels that retain some of their former iconography. Folk Hero and national founding figure Gilles de Bastonne and his mythic companions are considered to be saints in Equitaine. Equitaine's government is a Feudal system dominated by a strict code of chivalry and a hierarchy of Knightly orders at the top with the vast majority of the population being on the lowest rung as part of the peasantry. While the formidable Knights train constantly for war and are loyal to their direct overlords, the country's standing army is extremely small and relies mostly on levies during wartime to bulk out the army's infantry. The Duke of Bastonne has a Lord Martial to organize the armed forces, but there is no professional officer corps and Equitaine has no naval force of its own. It's economy is almost 100% agrarian and this, combined with the lack of education among the populace, has led to its reputaiton as a backward nation.Tousjours L'Audace
The Fleur De Lys is the symbol of Equitaine
Founding Date
1699
Type
Geopolitical, Duchy
Capital
Demonym
Ecquois
Leader
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Deities
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments