The Holy Mernite Sovereignty
The Mernite people have known almost nothing but war for as long as they have existed.
From their founding they often came into conflict with the more aggressive Zaman Oreet's of Wurinzama, the Kobolds of the mountains in their borders, The Principality of Al-Tiba, foreign invaders from the north in Kalin, and eventually being fully conquered by The Realm. Though the conquest was short lived.
Despite constant attack on all sides the Mernite's survived for generations as the Mernite Sovereignty. Their civilization mostly lived upon the Tigban River that flows west to east, with its twin cities of Mernar (Beacon) in the west and Udkhul (Path) to the East forming the backbone of its civilization. Instead of roads the vast majority of the Mernite Sovereignty found itself between Mernar and Udkhul on the Tigban river. Though some settlements existed to the West in the more livable parts of the Mernite desert.
The Mernite people were known for their mining and usage of black powder weaponry, with almost their whole army being equipped with it. They used enslaved earth elementals to make this material, creating one of the casus belli for The Realm to later conquer them.
Scarce decades after being conquered by The Realm, the Consuming Darkness descended upon Mernite like it did the rest of the world. It was the aftermath that shaped its future though. Thousands of Paladins and Holy Warriors descended from the North, from a now-dead nation called "Heldir" in Kalin, heeding the call of a Crusade to aid and "rescue" the Mantle Worshiping people of Mernite from the "pagan" Realmers. This Crusade gave birth to The Holy Mernite Sovereignty.
Since this re-conquest The Holy Mernite Sovereignty has been something of a confusing state. It is made up of Northern Crusaders and their descendants, the original Mernite people, and descendants of Realmers who moved into the Region but were not able to flee the Crusade.
As always, Mernite finds itself in constant conflict. While it maintains good relations with Lethennor and the Principality of Al-Tiba, it is constantly warring with The Realm, who wishes its province back. Lethennor and the Principality use this to their advantage to keep The Realms expansionist tendencies in check.
Structure
The Holy Sovereignty is always ruled by a monarch of the Unir family, a family founded during the First Crusade that was created from a marital union between the Poutonese family the Bonnot's and the local Mernite royal family the Qadims.
The Monarch rules the Sovereignty, supported in administration and rule by the Mernite Paladin Order, the Muharib, and the Knights Excellion. These three mixed military orders serve as the base of a triangle of power, with the monarch at the top.
History
The Holy Mernite Sovereignty has its far origin in Human tribes that settled along the Tigban River. Their civilization was soon conquered by the Atkorian Empire, becoming part of the Southern Imperium.
When the Imperium fell, the Mernite people enjoyed brief independence before being wrapped into the Carlegnian Empire, becoming its northern-most reach in Efaanu.
When the Al-Tiban's launched their rebellions against the Carlegnian Empire the Mernite people joined, throwing off the Empire rapidly while its armies were distracted in the east. It was from this rebellion that the first Mernite Sovereignty was formed.
The original Mernite Sovereignty spent most of its time fighting endless wars and conflicts in one way or another. Whether it be with the Kobolds in the mountains around Tigban, the Principality of Al-Tiba, or finally the Realm, the Mernite people always found themselves at war.
This constant warfare abated when the Mernite people found themselves conquered by The Realm for several decades, which wasted no time trying to stamp out Mantle Worship and incorporate the area fully as a province in an effort to then move onto Al-Tiba.
After the Consuming Darkness passed, an army descended from the North, from the city of Heldir in Kalin. This army of Crusaders were heeding a call to help their fellow Mantle worshipers throw off the oppression of The Realm. They were remarkably successful, with The Realm being weakened in the aftermath of the Consuming Darkness.
After the initial Crusade, the Crusaders united with the local Mernite people to form the nation as it is today. Though ever since, conflict with the Realm has been ever present. There have been pauses in hostilities, but never any formal peace. Lethennor and the Principality of Al-Tiba have used this and given support to the much smaller Mernite nation in an effort to forestall The Realms ambitions in Efaanu.
Demography and Population
The Sovereignty is a wide mix of peoples. While mostly humans, its population includes races from across both Efaanu and Kalin who have either heeded the call of Crusade or found themselves under its yoke.
Military
The Military of the Sovereignty is a mix of local roused militia that are called up in times of localized violence, as well as groups of Knights that come from the various supporting Orders: the Mernite Paladins, Knights Excellion, and the Muharib.
Religion
The Sovereignty is based on faith in The Mantle, being a mixture of old Mernite beliefs and imported Crusader ones. Anyone who wishes to hold any station must be publicly and obviously a Mantle worshiper, and those who aren't must pay taxes to worship in their own way.
Ebaa'at Dalil Wa'haiym (Mantle Guide and Protect)
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Alternative Names
The Crusader Kingdom
Demonym
Mernite
Government System
Monarchy, Theocratic
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Mernite Bezant
Subsidiary Organizations
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