Altruscia

Birthplace of the Awakening and amongst the most educated and technologically advanced nations in the human world, Altruscia is the cultural capital of the Marcian region with a long and proud history. Originating in its current form in the dark ages, Altruscia can trace its origins to the Altruscii people of the early second age and contains some of the best intact Marcian Empire ruins outside of Neapia itself.
Altruscia has generally failed to break into the status of major power since its height in the late second age and early third age. Devesation brought between the Marcian Wars, Eldrian and Seldrinar inteferance in the region, and internal difficulties arising from those conflicts, have seen the duchy limp to the 11th century in its current form. A key player in the 40 year war, Altruscia fought for the entire duration of the 40 Year War in the holy land and within its own borders.
The former wealth and prestige of the country is slowly rebuilding in the post-war period, with the scars of war still found across the countryside and coastlines. Altruscia's future seems to lie with the emerging Commonwealth as the two peoples form closer bonds, and the looming threat of Seldrinar interfernce lingers from beyond its new border with the Elven power to its south.

Structure

Altruscia has a complicated politcal structure. A unitary state, the Duke of Altruscia manages the country as the head of state with no direct feudal vassals or subdivisions. Private lands and some cities hold special privilages where the king must liase with their rulers separately from everywhere else. General government is ruled by old aristocrats, locally appointment mayors, or wealthy landowners and guild or company rulers. From this crop of the upper classes, as well as prominent or notable citizens, the council of Altruscia
The former merchant republics of Sieanna, Carello, and Ceasea are governed by a plutocratic form of democracy, electing a doge from the wealthiest citizens of the city every ten years. Falzeno, the capital, also holds a more represenative democracy for all citizens aged over 24 to elect a mayor every 2 years. This mixture of democracy and absolutism has created a government strangled by beaurocracy and compromise, yet through the stiched together forms of local rule the nation somehow runs reasonably efficiantly.

Culture

Altruscia is the most quintessentially Marcian country. Warm weather, a siesta culture, religious, wine and fine local breads, olive oil with every meal - Altruscia sets the culture and stereotypes for the rest of Western Marcia. Altruscia is also famed for its love of high art in the form of oil paintings, marble sculptures, and operas.
The regularly warm weather of 25-34 degress across its non-mountainous areas makes Marcia a warm and plesant land. The food culture is rich with even the poorest residents eating what many northern countries would consider delicacies or fine dining. Altruscians regularly enter arguments with their neighbours in Estrella on who has the best food, with Alturscians being very proud of their culinary traditions. Altruscian wine is also regarded as amongst the finest vintages in Prima Terra, another fact the Altruscians are quick to remind everyone of. Wine, bread, and olive oil are the staples of the Altruscian food scene with even the cheapest local production being of high quality.
The heat of the country has also created a culture of staying indoors at the sun's height to rest. As a result, Altruscians open earlier, close for the midday, and then stay open later. This does give the Altruscians a laid back and relaxed culture with a focus on 'taking things slow.' This has coined a phrase amongst international traders called "an Altruscian minute," meaning you will get round to a task eventually. Altruscians are seen as less loud and argumentive than their Marcian neighbours in Iranno and Estrella, but are still 'passionate' by northern standards in conversation.
Amongst the population, there are three core values regarded as the most important. Faith, art, and wealth. There is no greater source to an Altruscian parent than their child going off to become a great artist or performer, priest, or prominent merchant. Altruscia has produced numerous popes and some of the finest artists and works of art in the continent since the third age.

History

Ancient History

Altruscia derives its name from the historic region and peoples of the Altruscii. The Altruscii are a mysterious people with unknown origins. Their written script was unlike any other on the continent so much of their language, art, beleifs, and history cannot be translated or understood to this day. The Altruscii first built permanant settlements in the current Altruscian region in the early second age, sometime between the years 600-700, 2e. The early Altruscii seemed to worship the Old Gods in some novel form, relying on a temple culture in place of the traditional druidic and stone ring form of worship.
Temples to Morrigan , Daghda, Belennus, Nuada, and Manannan Mac Lir  have been found throughout the duchy. The various tribes would eventually form into a single kingdom by 1799, 2e when it was first recorded in Neapian documents by Emperor Septimum.
The ancient Altruscian kingdom would be destroyed in a series of three wars, the Altruscian wars, by the newly formed Marcian Empire in Neapia. The Neapian triumphs and imperial documents provide the world with the most information on the illusive kingdom, although much of its written is likely bias and not the best reflection on the ancient people. What is known is the kingdom's capital was at a now lost city of Phoethyra. The first Altruscian war is recorded by the imperial chronicles as starting when the Altruscian kingdom stopped traders from the "Pargossian lands" from trading with Neapia. The first war ended in a stalemate between the two Marcian powers, with Emperor Septimus and King Altron declaring a tenative peace.
The second war saw the Altruscians heavily beaten with their navy disbanded and their northern cities handed to the Marcian Empire. In shame, King Altron would commit suicide. This act is depicted in several works of art and poems by the contemporary Altruscians. Altron's death rose to the rise of who the modern Altruscians consider their 'ancestral founder' and the historical baddy of Tyrant King Hannar. Hannar was a brutal tactictian and strategist, taking armies of Owlbear riding Altruscians to the gates of Neapia itself. Hannar also earned the distinction of Killing emperor Chroniclus and hiding the emperor's body in a secret tomb with some ancient imperial treasures. Hannar would die in the siege of Phoethrya and fall in his sword before the city burned to the ground. The ancient capital is still lost, with various Altruscian Antquitiarians searching all across the duchy for it, with the best theory being it was likely somewhere in the Holy Land or the Virgilian Wetlands.
Altruscia was incorporated into the province of Marcia by the empire, and was integrated into the local culture with their old religion, culture, langauge, and identiy being replaced with a Marcian one. It was from this Marcian culture that the contemporary Altruscia gets its current identity and culture from. The region became a core part of the empire's heartlands, with all its current major settlements being built by the Marcian empire along with most of its current road network. When the empire fell in 2113, 23, the Altruscian region was absorbed into the Aedrinarian kingdom of Norvjold.

Origins

During the dark ages and ruled by Norvjold, the formally united Marcian peoples splinttered into smaller groups as larger cities became run down and smaller towns and forts were completely abandoned. The Aedrinarian rulers kept their own culture and customs with minimal integration into the local practices. Norvjold would break apart between 2198 and 2203, with Altruscia being the first to secede. This new kingdom of Altruscia decreased in size as the merchant republics of Sieanna, Carello, and Ceasea seperated from the new kingdom. The medieval kingdom of Altruscia was a fuedal state lead by a Duke form Falzeno. The duchy began to prosper with the start of the start of the first crusades, where Falzeno swelled with travelling pilgrims and knights from across the realm.
The kingdom's propserity would drop off in the 2300s as internal revolts by various nobles and attacks from the wealthier merchant republics saw the duchy implode into smaller counties and baronnies. The smaller states spend the following century constantly fighting with each other, whilst Falzeno waited patiently - building and earning its keep from travelling pilgrims. During this time, the Altruscian knightly order of the Pegasari were formed to help keep pilgrims safe on their way to the holy land.
In 2430, the Prince of Falzeno died without and heir, so the crown passed to a distant cousin - a minor noble named Michaelo Rigordia. The Rigordia's saw their fortunes turn overnight as they went from minor land barons to the wealthiest people in the principality. Michaelo was keep to keep this good fortune going for his family, and saught to finally expand his influence and territory with the aim of re-uniting Altruscia under his family's rule. The Riogordians, using clever ploys, espionage, and politiking managed to conquerer or pacifcy their immediate neighbours. Michaelo and his son, Jorge, also expanded their influence into the clergy, merchant guilds, and crusader orders based in the city by installing relatives to positions of power and prestige.
By 2459, the Rigordia family were the princes of Falzeno, lords of several smaller counties, bishops in Falzeno, Sieanna, lord commanders of the Knights Temporia and the Pegasari. A Rigordia relative was even elected as Doge of Carello, who promptly brought the city into the prince's control. Jorge Rigordia is also credited with inciting the Sieanna riots, which saw the doge ousted and allowed the family to annex the city, formally reuniting the duchy of Altruscia in its entirity.

Late Second Age and Rigordian Rule

The Rigordians rule as the new dukes of Altruscia saw the small duchy become an economic powerhouse and influential entity within Marcia. Leonardo Rigordia was appointed as Pope in 2499, taking the regal name of Sanctius V. The Rigordia's would contol the papacy until 2545, with the following popes of Sanctius VI, Urban V, and Marcius III corrupting the papal institution to benefit Altruscia and their own family. Rigordian control of the papacy did see them call the third and fourth crusades, which repelled the Seldrinar Supremacy from the Altruscian borders and establish the Knights of Gosca, their first lord commander naturally being a member of the Rigordia family.
Within Falzeno, the Rigordian family became rivalled by the lesser Borgano family, a wealthy merchant family who ran numerous banks across the Marcian region. The Borganos were also major patrons of the art, and commissioned the artist Donna Martella to create her magnum opus, "Hannar at Neapia," where the ancient Altruscian general was depicted as the Borgano family patriarch and the emperor Chroniclus as Duke Paulo Rigordia in an incredibly unsubtle, but aesthically beuatiful, vieled threat.
The feud was ended by the marriage between Isabella Rigordia and Julio Borgano, two 'star crossed lovers' who united the warring families and started a new dynasty. This combined dynasty became the largest patron of the arts and sciences, with the pair inviting great minds from around the world to come to Falzeno to work. Altruscians even sent prominent members of society to live in Saunton to recruit graduate students from The Miskatonic.
This boom in culture and science saw two decades of massive development across Altruscia that would start to spread to other Marcian states and beyond. New sewers were built, aqueducts restored, new building techniques saw beautiful domed palaces, houses, and opera houses constructed. Ancient Marcian, Sun Elf, and Rexian knowledge was 'rediscovered' by academics and widely spread amongst the academic instutites of the country. This boom in technology within the duchy led to Pope Charles IV to declare "A great awakening has shaken the world, bringing us to a new age." and formally began the third age.

Altruscian Golden Age

The first five centuries of the Third Age would see Altruscia at its cultural, political, and technological height. The duchy spearheaded the dismantling of feudal stuctures, centralising the state and transitioning power away from just old noble families and allowing a new booming merchant and artist class take their place. The wealth and culture this new age brought the country saw its ideals spread beyond its own borders as surrounding nations began to adopt Altruscian styles, philosophies, and technology as ancient fuedalism and practices began to end across the world.
Many of its cities were slowly rebuilt with tall new buildings and impressive structures not seen since the Marcian Empire. Altruscia dominated local trade and trends, exporting its ideas and inventions around Prima Terra. The region became known as the 'greatest human land' to ever exist, with contemporaries comparing them to the Sun Elves. This influence also brought prolonged peace, Altruscia was not troubled by a single war for the entire five hundred year period it was at its height - Alturscian historians called it the Pax Altruscia as commerce and diplomacy thrived in place of warfare.
The golden age saw most of the duchy's most famous pieces of architecture, such as the Palazo Albany and the Chapel of Saint Catherine, be constructed and painted. The works of the painter Di Quinto were also created at this time, his work would go onto be collected by kings and emperors across the continent to the modern day. The cultural effect of this age can still be felt as all new developments and styles can trace their origins to Awakening era Falzeno.
This golden age would not last for ever, as an unfortuante side-effect of the Awakening is it also saw the duchy's enemies become more powerful and modernized - especially their old nemesis of the Seldrinar Supremacy and the newly formed Eldrian Empire. Altruscian influence declined from 400 onwards as the Marcian states were pulled under the sway of the great empires to the region's north and south. Altruscia itself was also pushed into a dependence into the Seldrinar sphere of influnence under the rule of Duke Vitto Peldoni.

Marcian Wars

Altruscia would suffer greatly in the Marcian Wars of 495-550, 3e. The Peldroni family were under the influence of the Seldrinar Supremacy, and were dragged into wars with the Knights of Gosca, Iranno, and the Papacy. Estrella, an imperial supporting duchy, occupied regions in the Sun Mounts near the key city of Tarmora and would hold onto them for the duration of the conflict. Falzeno would be invaded by the Goscan Knights in 513 with the duke deposed and an Eldrian suppoting duke installed in his place. The Peldroni Family and the imperial supporting puppets would routinely switch places as rulers of the duchy on average of every 3 years as various factions continously raided Falzeno to install their own puppet.
In the chaos, Sieanna declared independence and would find its own doges being routinely swapped with pro-eldrian and pro-seldrinar rulers in order to fight whatever other side was controlling Altruscia at the time. The Altruscian countryside was devestated by the conflicts, vineyards destroyed, villages left abandoned, and priceless works of art and architecture destroyed. The most influential artists and artifcers found themselves fleeing to other countries, most notably the Eldrian Empire, Jameleska, and Cyrene in the east.
in 549, Altruscia and the other west marcian states were exhausted by nearly fifty years of fighting each other. Altruscia, like the other states, all attended the peace conference in Saunton organized by the King of Kernow and Pope Innocent IV. Altruscia accepted money and a white peace in exchange for uniting with the other Marcian states to fight the Supremacy. Altruscia, now reunited as one whole duchy, would launch naval attacks on the Serpent Coast, Tippytree, and Seldros Major, threatening the Seldrinar capital of Seldros Prime itself. The wars ended in 550, leaving the Duchy a shadow of its former self.

Decline Period

A long decline would continue within the duchy as the Marcian Wars had devestated its economy and seen its most talented citizens flee to other countries. The Duchy was no longer the centre of art and science, with Falzeno being left as a ruined ghost town with only half of its pre-war population remaining. Poverty increased and many turned to banditry and piracy throughout the region. The formally prestigious Pegasari order was left with only a few hundred knights and could no longer maintain law and order, whilst the Crown Army had become corrupt and routinely working alongside bandits.
Civil war would also errupt between 612 and 618, as powerful local warlords and bandit chiefs tried to attain their own fiefdoms. The Duchy, now led by Tomaso di Boscini, rebuilt the crown army and Pegasari, utilising Aedrinarian mercanaries and knights from East Marcia to train them. Within a year, Di Boscini defeated all the warlords and reunited the duchy, imposing a strict martial law to keep order. Di Boscini would become recognised as a 'benevolent dictator' as he maintained strict state control and punished crime and corruption severely, but his actions across a 45 year reign would see Altruscian fates turn as the past century of decline started to reverse.

Pre-40 Year War

Although regaining stability, strength, and unity and even resuming its patroning of the arts and sciences, Altruscia was no longer the power or cultural icon it had been in its golden age. The Duchy would regain its status as the most important Marcian state, but this was a worthless title as in truth, the Marcian states were still just proxies for the Eldrian or Seldrinar empires. From 710-990, Altruscia would have small border wars with its neighbour Estrella as part of the proxy conflicts between the elven and human empires, gaining only small bits of land in the process.
The Duchy offically declared neutrality in 914 so it could focus on rebuilding its trade power. This would pay off, as it forced both the Seldrinar and Eldrians to go through their ports and allowed a 'second golden age' of sorts within the region as the poverty stricken duchy boomed with new merchant classes. The duchy also rebuilt or repaired most of its delapated monuments and great works, with new art and culture movements originating in Falzeno as a rennasissance of Alturscian culture boomed.
Its status as a neutral nation did see the duchy find new friends in the forms of Southaxe and The Commonwealth when those nations became indepedent towards the end of the 10th century. The threat of the Seldrinar would rear its head again as Seldrinar Troops commited to border conflicts within the duchy's southern neighbour of Gosca, the Altruscians officially ended their neutrality and signed the Pact of Promise - a defence treaty between themselves, Iranno, East Marcia, the papacy, Southaxe, and the Eldrian Empire.

40 Year War

The pact would come into force in 1002 after a full scale Seldrinar invasion of Gosca and East Marcia. Altruscia called its forces to arms, the Pegasari and crown armies marched into the Seldrinar allied state of Estrella as well as reinforcing the Goscan territory. Altruscia saw itself as a frontline territory with fierce fighting in the sun mountains with Estrella and countless casualties at sea and on the Goscan frontlines. Within the first three yeras of the war, Gosca had fallen and the Seldrinar forces now threatened Falzeno and mainland Altruscia. The war also saw the important cities of Carello and Sienna occupied by the Seldrinar forces, cutting off supply lines and seeing brutal interior battles in 1021.
Altruscia, along with Southaxe, was appalled at the Eldrian invasion of the Commonwealth in 1022. Along with Southaxe, Altruscia allied themselves with the Commonwealth. A principled stand, this would cost the Altruscians as they were forced into a new front with Iranno. A positive effect at the new frontline was that the Seldrinar stopped pushing into their territory, allowing the Altruscians to gain much needed breathing room outside fo Falzeno.
The rest of the war saw the Pegasari and Crown armies, coupled with thousands of volunteer Altruscians, battle throughout West Marcia. An attempted re-conquest of the Holy Land ended in catastrophe at Virgilium, slowing all Alturscian advances. The duchy would be bogged down in small skirmishes and battles throughout west marcia for the next decade, working closely with Southaxe and withstanding smaller Seldrinar pushes to its south.
The tide turned for commonwealth faction in 1031 with the arrival of the Dragon Empire and the betrayal of the Sargonic kingdoms against the Seldrinar Supremacy. The Supremacy and empire now faced intense invasions of their territory, homeland and occupied, by the combine forces of the Dragon Empire, Eighth Kingdom of Aedrinar, Asrinheim, and Jotun. A joint Altruscian and Aedrinarian effort retook Carello in 1039, and the Irannoese bowed out of the conflict in the same year. Altruscia then retook Sieanna and joined its allies in landing on Sanctuary Island in the Seldrinar mainland - pushing the elven empire to the peace table.

Post-War

Altruscia recieved plentiful gold and platnium as reparations from the Supremacy and Eldrians. This gold, and their growing relationship with Southaxe and The Commonwealth, has seen the duchy bounce back relatively well compared to its neighbours. The nation is still war damaged, with scars from the conflict still felt by every family who lost a loved one, every cemetary filled with the war dead, and each building broken by a siege. The duchy has been slowly rebuilding, and looks as though it will return to its pre-war economy by the late 1060s. Until then, the duchy tends to its wounds and mourns those no longer with it.

Demography and Population

Like it's Marcian neighbours, Altruscia is a human majority nation with a sizeable minority of gnomes and halflings. Half-Elves and elven blood is also slightly higher than average in the region - likely due to many ancient connections to the ancient sun-elves still found in many families. Altrusica is egalitarian in its approach to race and background, with wealth mattering more than bloodlines. There is a growing minority population of dissident Seldrinar elves who have fled the supremacy with organized paths to extract the political enemies of the elven state into the duchy.
Like all the war nations, Altruscia has seen a steep decline in population thanks to the 40 year war. The birth to death rate has stabilised by 1052, although the population is still a quarter of a million people smaller than it was pre-war. The density still remains relatively high along its southern, northern, and coastal regions with a sparsely populated central area dominated by agricultural land such as vinyards, farms, and orchards. The mountain regions are likewise sparsely populated outside of Maranno.
There has historically been a wealth gap within Altruscia, this has narrowed due to the war and is seeing a more level playing field for merchant classes. Rural villages and hamlets tend to be poorer than their urban or coastal counterparts, with 50% of the countries wealth found in three cities alone.

Military

Altruscia relies on two standing profesional armies for its protection, both based in Falzeno with smaller local militas dotted throughout the duchy. The first is the Pegasari, a former crusader order that was gradually absorbed into the state as a whole. The Pegasari are the most elite knights with intense training and tend are sworn to the country as a whole rather than the duke. The Crown Army, or the Corona, swear their oath to the duke themselves are are far larger than the Pegasari. The two organizations have an intense rivalary but function well in actual conflict.

Religion

Divinitism has been the dominant religion of Altruscia for thousands of years and remains so to this day. No main minority religions can be found, outside of some isolated communes to the Old Gods in remote regions. Even the gnome and halfling populations lean towards Divinitism. The Orthodox and Modernist sects share equal split of the country's population with a minority of Nephilmic worshippers in isolated communities of post-war Goscan refugees.

Laws

As a unitary state, Altruscian law is universal across the land. Local authorities will sometimes be allowed to enact smaller level laws such as curfews or local building codes, but all other laws come from the crown itself. The laws are enforced by local militias and the crown army. Capital punishment is frowned upon in Altruscia, with exile or imprisonment favoured. The duchy also leans on rehabilitation for criminals, prefering to encourage people to change their ways than just locking them up.

Education

Altruscia once boasted the most educated populace in the human world - this status has long since left the duchy. The literacy rate remains high, with a near 100% literacy rate in cities like Falzeno and Sieanna. Rural communites tend to be the most uneducated with no major schools or access to education outside of the clergy. Altruscia's more urban communities boast at least one school per town, with universities found in Falzeno, Sieanna, Carello, and Maralla. Education in the duchy is largely devoted to artistic endeavours around poetry, literature, art, dance, architecture, and music. Many powerful artistic guilds and prominent citizens will sponsor young people with talent to go to these educational instutites.

Duchy of Altruscia (Red) on the continent of Prima Terra

Founding Date

2473, 2e

Type

Geopolitical, Duchy

Capital

Falzeno

Demonym

Altruscian

Government System

Oligarchy

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Market economy

Major Exports

• Wine
• Marble
• Art

Official State Religion

Divinitism

Neighboring Nations

• Estrella
• Holy Goose States
• Iranno
• Seldrinar Supremacy

Related Species

• Human