Northland

"The streets of Northland teem with life! Nary a day goes by without some horrid tragedy in the name of invention, but the people of Northland know it - and they live life to the fullest, knowing each day could be their last!" - Jorel Mayfeather

Northland is a place of progress. Nearly every person who lives there has invented at one point or the other, and the Grand Archives in the capital city are where the plans for every invention, a copy of every manuscript, and a transcription of every song are held.
The only thing a Northlander looks down upon is laziness. This is why they are known to love those that have trained to hone their skills (such as the fighter and the bard) while shunning those given their gifts (such as clerics or warlocks). This means that even though they do not normally value a witty tongue or a glib remark, a Northlander loves a person with a soaring voice and a clear whistle.
Northland is also unique amongst the countries of Lorannis in two other ways: it does not subscribe to a central government or head of state, and it is the only island large enough to be considered its own country. This has created a divide between themselves and the merchants of Mercercle, who rule through the depth of their pockets, and Adura, which still has a king as their head of state. 
Sarcystle is perhaps their closest neighbor in spirit, but they are far from each other and are unable to make any truly strong alliances. 
Similar to Mercercle, Northland is quite a popular trading partner. Their inventions are quite well renowned and several modern tools, from farming equipment to the cannons used on some Mercercle ships, were invented by Northland artificers and mechanics.
Each city is ruled by popular vote. Once every two months, a band of townsfolk put together a list of rules, proposals, and other legal/governmental suggestions - this normally comes out to around three pages. Then the townsfolk gather on the first of the next month to vote and put their plans into action. A raffle is held to determine who will be in charge of certain projects (such as building a bridge) and volunteers are assigned to work under them. It's a tentative system - one that could fall apart in a society that valued labor and loyalty less - but because the people of Northland are a hardy folk, insulated from the rest of the world and used to relying on one another, there have been very few incidents of towns falling to chaos due to the selfish actions of some of the population.

Demography and Population

Racial Breakdown

Northland is:

• Gnome (46%)
• Halfling (32%)
• Dwarf (17%)
• Human (3%)
• Warforged (2%)
• Other (1%)

Religious Breakdown

The most common deities of worship in Northland are:

• Korak (15%)
• Tinel (15%)
• The Great Church (14%)
• Rontra (7%)
• Zheenkeef (7%)
• Anwyn (5%)
• Darmon (5%)
• Aymara (4%)
• The Nameless One (2%)
• Other (26%)

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Demonym

Northlander

Government System

Democracy, Direct

Location

Northland

Controlled Territories

• Northland
• Tiverton

Neighboring Nations

• Vespmar

Notable Members

• Alynn Agethe

The most common skills for Northlanders are:

• athletics
• investigation
• medicine
• sleight of hand
• performance

The most common backgrounds for Northlanders are:

• charlatan
• clan crafter
• cloistered scholar
• entertainer
• folk hero
• sage

The most common classes for Northlanders are:

• wizard
• rogue
• artificer
• bard
• monk
• fighter

The traits most valued by Northlanders are:

• Intelligence
• Constitution

The traits least valued by Northlanders are:

• Charisma
• Wisdom