Kinilan

Kinilan is centrally situated in the continent of PLACEHOLDER, from the Iron Hills in the west to the wine country of the east. It is the first democratic republic in the known world, having overthrown the monarchy in a bloody revolution a little over a century ago. However, elements of the old noble houses and even the royal family still exist, having made the transition from entitled nobility to wealthy business owners.
For most of the last century, Kinilan has been at war with Chelestra, the kingdom to the southwest, a war that has been dubbed The Great War. Over this period, the Kinilan Army has developed a massive amount of influence, to the point where it's entirely possible that the only reason there hasn't been a coup is that the army is already effectively in charge.

Culture

Kinilan is a land with a long history of luxury. While only the rich upper crust of society can afford the more extravagant luxuries and balls, there are less dramatic touches at every level of society. Where a rich family's home might have a decoratively carved dining table and chairs to match, a peasant's home would likely have a bowl or the like that adorns their table.
Kinilani are particularly fond of festivals. Farming communities hold festivals not just at harvest, but to celebrate the first planting, the first sprouting, and so forth. Vineyard communities celebrate the grape vines flowering, and hold festivals after the harvest of each type of grape. Tradesmen in cities have a list of days to commemorate any number of historical events and figures, to the point where a common complaint among their management is that there's scarcely a workday that can't be taken off due to a festival of some kind or other, though only a handful are celebrated every single year, and many of them are celebrated in the evening, after the day's work has been completed.
This is all, of course, how things were in happier times. Over the last couple of centuries, the lower classes have suffered due to a number of events. First there was a steady decline in fair treatment of their subjects, largely to fuel the nobles own predilection for partying, then the Revolution, and finally the Great War. Festivals have become increasingly rare and modest, and people have had to make do with just what's necessary to get by (and sometimes not even that). The war ended only a couple of years ago, and full recovery is still a long way off. But it seems the people of Kinilan are eager to rebuild - most communities have at least one family that has made a point of keeping records of what they've lost, in hopes of bringing this lifestyle back when times are better. With all that's changed, though, will these old traditions even fit in with the modern world? Only time will tell.

Public Agenda

The High Council of Kinilan is primarily interested in rebuilding society, particularly in the Iron Hills, which were devestated in the Great War. What this rebuilt society will be is a matter of continuous debate, but all agree that the mines of the Iron Hills need to be restored quickly, before the Treaty of Jabru allows Chelestra to start staking claims on the most valuable mines.
Those in the council who are under the military's thumb also speak of securing a military alliance with countries to the east, and possibly even those further west beyond Chelestra, though they couch this in terms of ensuring security, while in reality, they hope to renege on the treaty's trade stipulations while having a sufficient strategic advantage to avoid a second war.

History

Kinilan was founded in the aftermath of the fall of the First Empire, one of several kingdoms formed by regional governors who declared themselves emperor but could only hold on to their own province. Kinilan was particularly difficult to hold - even then, its vineyards were prized throughout the known world, and it was only through a combination of exceptional military skill and sufficient wealth to hire a wide variety of skilled mercenaries that its new king managed to maintain independence. Many of the leaders of these mercenary companies were given noble titles and lands for their service, and some of these families persist to this day.
Throughout the centuries, Kinilan and several other regional powers fought many wars over contested border regions, especially the valuable Iron Hills, which was finally officially annexed in 1426 AE with the completion of the Rethis Canal. Kinilan has also gone through several periods of internal strife, the most well known of which is known as the Wine Wars, a civil war incited by an attempted poisoning of the King during a wine tasting festival.
In 16** AE, the Kinilan Revolution began, first as disorganized food riots, then a systematic purge of the noble quarter of Antius that ended in a fire that burned much of the city, and then spread to armed uprisings throughout the country as peasants turned on their masters. It was during the extended fighting that the democratic republic system was first proposed in Antius, and after enough debate, the majority of revolutionaries agreed to it. Those who dissented either resolved themselves to changing things politically, as that was now a valid option even for peasants, or rebelled against the revolutionary council and were put down.
Shortly thereafter, Chelestra, a country to the west that had been particularly put out by Kinilan's annexation of the Iron Hills centuries before began to amass its forces, hoping to take advantage of the weakness of a government run by peasants to take that territory for themselves. The Kinilan High Council turned out to not be as weak as Chelestra's king had imagined, and this snowballed into the The Great War: a war that gradually escalated from what was meant to be a quick land grab but instead became a war of nearly a hundred years that brought both countries to its knees. It was only by the intervention of Abri of the Pyre, a religious leader representing Jabru, the God of Death, that the war finally came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Jabru.

Demography and Population

Kinilan is composed of many different species, though humans and halflings make up a substantial majority of the population, and are largely integrated with each other and scattered across the country. While both species each have a few rituals of their own, they coexist comfortably.
There are also a number of people who are not quite human - half breeds or people who are altered by magic in some profound way - but they are generally accepted as long as their upbringing does not interfere with their ability to function in society. For example, half-orcs raised in Kinilan are well regarded, but one who grew up in the Wildlands with an orcish tribe might be seen as dangerous. For this reason, half-orcs raised in Kinilan tend to avoid dressing in furs or leather, as these materials are typically associated with stories of Wildland tribes.
Gnomes, Elves, and Dwarves are the next most common species after humans and halflings, though each of these longer lived species tend to be somewhat isolationist of late, finding it difficult to relate to the short lived peoples, who grew up in a world so radically different from what they are familiar with from centuries past. These groups have historically operated largely outside of Kinilani life - they are still technically part of the country, but are generally allowed to act as sovereign realms so long as they do not actively go against Kinilan's interests and, of course, pay a tax in gold or goods and services of equl value.
There are a variety of other sapient species living in the country, but these are very much in the minority.

Territories

Kinilan is comprised of a large, low lying area that acts as the drainage for a large section of the Wildlands to the south. On its eastern border are the foothills of the Usha Mountains, and on the east lie the Iron Hills. This low lying land has been in continuous use for the production of fine wines for more than 1500 years, and was once a province of the First Empire. While the country has benefitted greatly from the wealth brought by their production of the best wines in all the known world, they have struggled to make territorial gains, with one major exception: the annexation of the Iron Hills 300 years ago. Before then, the Hills had been a contested no-mans-land, with locals playing other countries off each other for their own profit, all while keeping them out of the hands of any larger nation. The annexation was publicly rather peaceful, with leaders both bribed and threatened into accepting Kinilani rule. This unification of the wealth of Kinilan with the industrial capacity of the Iron Hills led to a time of unprecedented prosperity for both regions, and had been mutually beneficial up until Chelestra, the kingdom bordering the Hills to the east, invaded, as the annexation had severely limited their access to the mines there - many of which were originally built with Chelestran investment. The resulting war brought both countries to their knees, and left the Iron Hills largely depopulated. Reconstruction efforts are underway in Rethis, but the Hills are, for the moment, effectively a part of the Wildlands.

Agriculture & Industry

Kinilan's heartland is largely agricultural land, and much of that land is dedicated to vineyards, some of which have been tended continuously since before the fall of the First Empire. Wheat and barley are also popular crops, which, along with hops, support a smaller but still vibrant ale and lager market. The remaining farmland is largely dedicated to products that don't ship well - orchards, dairy farms, and other livestock. Kinilan is heavily reliant on food imports from other nations, which has led to luxury items like wines and perfumes being a key strategic resource as trade goods to support these products.
Kinilan's industry is found in and near the Iron Hills , a hilly area with a wealth of mining potential. Here one can mine coal, iron, copper, lead, gold, silver, tin, and smaller amounts of numerous other metals. There are a number of industrial cities built at stops along the Rethis Canal, which connects the city of Rethis in the hills with the capital city of Antius. There are also a number of specialized production centers for specific products, such as the perfume labs run by House Attar.

Infrastructure

Kinilan has a sophisticated network of canals, connecting the major trading centres. The capital city of Antius is a major hub of these canals, being at the meeting point of 5 major canals. These canals are long, usually straight channels with wide roads that double as towpaths on both sides, extendable bridges positioned regularly along the route for those travelling by land, and magically controlled locks as needed. The most ambitious of these canals is the Rethis Canal, which connects Antius with the city of Rethis in the Iron Hills. This route is by far the longest canal, and curves around several hills too large to simply build through, as well as a segment that is suspended, towpaths and all, on a stone aqueduct that runs for 60 kilometers. Historically the towpaths were manned by prisoners serving hard labour, but since the revolution, they have been manned by horses or oxen.
The canals are supported by a network of side roads, dotted with villages and scattered towns. Most of these are dirt paths, but are generally kept well maintained. In recent years, however, the roads have been more dangerous. The Army patrols the canals, but leaves the side roads to the bandits - one of the many problems of having a drawn out war.

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Antius

Demonym

Kinilani

Government System

Democracy, Representative

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Mixed economy

Currency

• Laurel: a high value platinum coin used for particularly high value transactions.
• Council: a gold coin commonly most often used by the wealthy
• Stater: a silver coin commonly most often used by the common folk
• Penny: a copper coin most often used by the poor and the frugal
• Demi: an ancient electrum coin rarely seen, typically worth half a Council

Major Exports

Fine wines, perfumes, steel and other metals

Major Imports

Wool, Leather, Foodstuffs, Silk, Dyes, Spices

Legislative Body

Kinilan is led by the High Council, a group of elected representatives that represent the noble, merchant and peasant classes, and representatives of each region around the country.

Judicial Body

Rectors appointed by the High Council or a duly appointed subcouncil hear cases and render verdicts, sentences, and settlements as required. In recent years, all appointments have been made by a subcouncil drawn almost entirely from the Kinilan Army. Appeals can be made to a Council of High Rectors, who debate matters of legal conduct, and have occasionally referred cases to the High Council when the law is not clear.

Location

Attar Estate

Controlled Territories

• Boryza
• Jera
• Rethis Canal

Notable Members

• Caelynn Tenithra