The Esen Confederacy
Demography and Population
The population of the confederacy is separated largely into East and West, due to The Great Scorch, the next largest division being which of the five territories they hail from. The birth rate sits at 11.6 and the death rate at 8.3 as of last collection.
It's important to note that many tribal societies live within the territories, but do not submit to the confederacy for data collection, among other things.
Territories
The Esen Confederacy is made up of five major territories, excluding the territory controlled by the Aestabari in The Great Scorch, Miskatonic Bog, and Sovegrad. These territories are Nordova, Zotoriech, Südolasta, Augenyug, and Forelest. These territories are comprised of various powers within, but all ruled by a single oligarch, who in turn becomes a part of the Confederate Council. The territories may get into squabbles from time to time, usually over trade or economic issues, but are normally quite content. During the end years of the Dwarven Civil War, there was dissent from both Nordova and Zotoriech over pulling out of the war that could have become a major political dispute, but this was quelled by the war coming to an end via The Steel Treaty.
The presence of tribal groups within the territories has always been a long standing issue for the confederacy. While those who start violence with confederate bodies are easy to deal with, usually in the form of swift military action, it is the many peaceful tribes the confederacy has no singular consensus on. In some areas, tribes are allowed to live as they always have and are not seen as obligated to assimilate in any way to the confederacy. Other times, tribes are pressured to assimilate or move to currently uninhabited areas if the tribe stands in the way of growth, cultivating/harvesting natural resources, or simply has the misfortune of having very imperialistic minded confederate neighbors. The Esen Confederacy has passed some federal legislation that is made to either allow tribes to be accommodated or more easily assimilated. Which it is largely depends on the confederate power who has a situation with a tribe.
Military
The Confederate Guard is the combined might of the five territories. For the sake of cohesiveness, the guard is structured so that it is in accordance to answer to the federal body of the nation. However, its various divisions make it nearly impossible for it to be used against the smaller forces within the nation in an abusive way. This is because its divisions sometimes are entirely composed of territory specific armed forces, or are mixed.
Technological Level
Citizens of the confederacy have access to well developed and understood medicines and practices, with only the most isolated of town having to resort to wise women and snake oil. While not all towns are equally blessed with technological advances, gaslight instruments and many personal technological devices have found their way to the common person's hands. Electricity, both conventional and magical, are usually only seen in large cities like Sovegrad, as well as low level firearms and munitions. The Esen Confederacy put many resources into developing anti-air military capabilities and technologies after the war, having witnessed and felt the terrifying strength of a fleet of airships. They also produce powerful conventional armaments on an unprecedented scale, in preparation for finishing a fight that was put on hold fifty years ago.
Religion
The Faerûnian Pantheon is the most widely worshipped, with The True Light Apostles also holding a wide membership in certain racial groups across the confederacy. The Chapel of the Inked Lady also operates and has many followers within their borders. The confederacy has tried to openly recognize the many tribal religions (minus the diabolic cults of the mountain peoples) present by loosening past law on what defined religion. This has been successful, but also abused by standing religious entities and the occasional tax dodger.
Agriculture & Industry
The confederacy is largely an industrial power, second only to the Dwarven kingdoms in The Sky-Spear Isles. It's ore rich landscape allows it to produce large amounts of steel, and its coal mines in the west and oil refineries in the east fuel this and other industries that keep the nation alive.
Trade & Transport
All export and import trade and transport is done via port town, with internal trade foundation being a grand system of highways. The most notable high ways are the Black Roads that cross The Great Scorch, their name coming from the largest amount of trade transported on these roads are coal from the west and refined oil from the east.
Education
Esen has a satisfactory level of education as a whole, with 98% of it's citizens being literate. This carried out via a standard education requirement set federally, but whose application is given broad freedoms locally. This allows areas to educate their citizens without causing issues with their daily lives. Be they from farmland or centers of industry, a citizen of Esen is guaranteed a basic education. High forms of education, however, have no federal oversight, with access largely being left up to the institutions who offer it. This has created a large gap over the years between those who can afford a higher education and those who cannot.
Infrastructure
Roads are well kept and controlled within the confederacy, with key military fortifications and checkpoints scattered along them and in key points of territories. Nearly ever major water system is utilized, be it for drinking water or powering factories and towns. Ports have largely been restored to working capacity, but many in the east still struggle to return to pre-civil war levels of output. Local courts are prevalent in major towns and cities, but the law becomes a lot harsher, even carried out by the common citizenry, in the more rural areas of the confederacy.
Maps
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Esen Territories
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
The Coinage Standard, that of gold, silver, and bronze, was created by the Confederacy and has become the international standard as well. Though as time passed, the confederacy has looked into a possible new system: bank notes.
Major Exports
Aside from raw materials like steel, coal and oil, the major export of Esen is machinery. While the Dwarven kingdoms have their great forges, they lack the space necessary to produce and reliably export such things (to say nothing of their covetous nature towards technology). Ships, land vehicles, engines, essential industrial equipment, and more are all things sought after by international tradesmen, particularly in Shu and Joetore.
Major Imports
The largest import brought in by the confederacy is magical material and resources. This can include sun gems, mithril, focusing stones, etc. These are very rare to find in the earth of Esen, but very plentiful in The Sky-Spear Isles. However, the Dwarven Civil War ensured that relations within many places in the confederacy were soured, though some still have good trade with the island power despite being seen as shameful.
Legislative Body
The Confederate Council is the ruling legislative body of the confederacy, comprised of the ruling powers of the five major territories, under which is the Confederate Senate, where representatives of the various towns, cities, settlements, and so forth, organize and bring issues before the council. The senate is largely seen as powerless in terms of legislation for the collective confederacy, as they merely suggest and make cases before the council, who are the only ones who can write federal legislation. However, to pass federal legislation, they must go thorough the SEER, which is strongly influenced by local governments.
Judicial Body
The Society of Esen Enforcement Regents, also known as the SEER, is responsible for the interpretation of federal laws passed by the Confederate Council. It is also the highest court in the nation, which all other courts must adhere to. The SEER usually leave local governments alone so long as they are not outright breaking federal laws, however. The regents are as much academic as they are officers of government, all of them being the brightest of the institutions of law from which come from. Regents are picked by the council, but it is balanced out by the fact that they must be nominated from the local governments they come from. This allows the local governments to prevent the council from filling the SEER with only sympathizers.
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
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