Holy Goose States
Officially the Holy Gose States of his holiness of the Pope, also refered to as the Papal States, the Holy Goose States is an absolute elective theocractic monarchy and feudal state in the Marcian Region. Based at the holy city and ancient city of Neapia, the papacy acts as the king of the Holy Goose States and head of the Divinitist church. Founded in the dark ages following the collapse of the Marcian Empire and the implosion of the Aedrinaran kingdom of Norvjold, the papal states remains the religious centre of the human west and a key influencer on the global state in theocratic matters, but is a relatively small power in all other meaningful measures.
Heavily affected by 40 Year War, the papal states are in a decline as their historic ally in the Eldrian Empire can no longer support them with all other allies equally devestated by the continenent spanning conflict. The city of Neapia, its capital, has seen a steep population drop after its sacking in the war and its countryside is still baring the scars of the conflict, ten years after its conclussion.
The Holy Goose States have also played a key role on the world state in the past thousand and a half years from organizing the Treaty of Saunton, declaring the third age, and organizing the crusades of the second age. Although this status as a kingmaker and influencer has faded in recent decades, the papacy still holds ceremonial power in its control of the clergy and across the Divinitist world.
Structure
As a theocractic feudal nation, the papal territory is governed my mebers of the clergy. Throughout the Holy Goose States are several bishoprics with Lord Bishops as their rulers who run each diocese as if it were a private fief. The state is united behind the Pope themselves, the head of the entire church within Neapia. Although direct serfdom has largely been phased out, there is still a significant class divide between the clerical elites, merchants, and commoners.
Culture
A deeply religious state, the papal citizens are affected by religion and faith everywhere they go in life. There is a significant cultural divide between the city of Neapia and its rural countryside. The countryside is considered deeply conservative and reserved, often prefering to wear modest clothing, marry at 19, and attend every mass they can. Neapia on the other hand is a bustling, urban, metropolitian metropolis of many cultures with a focus on art, food, and a cafe culture where intellectuals and academics gather to discuss theories and ideas.
History
Ancient History
The Holy Goose States are deeply tied to Neapia itself. Amongst one of the oldest cities in the world, it was first built by the giants of Ulmat, then occupied by the Krowethic Empire, then gifted to the Sun Elves, sacked by Soulthek, and rebuilt by the Netalii peoples, a human tribe likely originating from the Great Steppes. Human settlement likely came during the sun elf period, with no real evidence outside of confusing records the Rolish peoples, which may have just been an ancient giant slang term for the Albionii or Altruscii peoples. Neapia would come into its modern form with the fall of the Rexian Empire as scores of refugees fled the now destroyed heartland region of the continent and settled across Marcia and the Southlands. Neapia was heavily influenced by the post-rexian exodus, with the Netalii and Post-Rexians merging together as a new culture in their booming republic city. Alongside their knowledge and technology, the Rexian refugees also brought their religion - Divinitism. In this post-cataclysm world, Neapia became a key port city and saw its wealth and culture flourish. None could challenge the young republic as it grew into the Marcian region, occupying what is now Iranno and Estrella. The young republic would struggle in the 18th century, as political dynasties and families waged civil wars and fended off internal rebellion or raids from neighbouring tribes. Despite this turbulence, the Neapians continued to settle the lands of their neighbours Altruscia and Galliyia (Modern East Marcia.) From those border conflicts, a young general earned enough of a reputation to be elected consul by the Neapians. Septimus Signus would go onto wage the final civil war of the republic, defeating the 'corruption of the senate' and forming the Marcian Empire in its place. Through the Marcian Empire, Neapia would be the centre of a realm that spanned from the Dwarven Mountains to the Southlands in what was the first post-rexian great power. Neapias influence, language and culture spread throughout its empire cementing the city's legacy for the next three thousand years. Within the empire's southern most lands, now the South Marcia region of the Seldrinar Supremacy, the Last Prophet was born in 1933 and traveled the soon to be holy land spreading a reformed version of Divinitism. The Marcian governor of the region would execute the prophet at Perdition, but the new faith continued to spread. The First Basillica was built in Neapia during the reign of the first pope, the apostle of the prophet, St Vitus. From this new cathedral, the faith spread throughout the empire and wide scale conversion to the new religion led to it becoming the dominant faith practiced across the empire. Emperors would go onto expand the basilica, and allow the bishops of the faith to appoint successive popes after the death of Vitus's own acolyte, Blessed Lucius I. During the empire, citizens from across its land were elected pope. The first gnome pope, Marandius, was elected in 2014, and was succeeded by the first elven pope, Urban I in 2022. Disaster would strike the city and papacy as Neapia was sacked by the Tumbrian warlod Blutigar in 2103, killing Pope Thaddeus I in the process and sacking the grand basillica. A smaller chapel would take its place as the Marcian Empire collapsed, with the city sacked again in 2113 by Aedrinaran raiders who occupied the Marcian region. The Aedrinaran invaders forced Pope Innocent I to crown them as King of Norvjold. During the Norvoljd Period of the dark ages, old imperial palaces were occupied by the Aedrinaran rulers and many of the older churches in the city converted to temples to the Honoured Gods. The Papacy would even be occupied by its first non-Marcian pope, Thaddeus I, a Tumbrian.Origins
During the dark ages, Divinitism was left to the wayside. Although Norvjold never interfered or banned the faith, they saw the religion as 'weak' compared to their own gods. The Kingdom grew more stagnant as the old triumphs of the Marcian empire faded into ruin and old technology became forgotten. During the two century long dark ages, more and more commoners throughout the former empire became dependent on the church of education, charity, and community. The Papacy found itself becoming a power broker for the new feudal nations of the world and the soul provider of a sense of identity for commoners who could be finding themselves in different kingdoms or fiefdoms based on wars or inheritance. Donations swelled as dependency also drew on the church of divine salvation - life was short and brutal and people wanted to garuntee a good afterlife. With this growing influence for the papacy, its occupiers of Norvjold could not say they were having the same glory. The Kingdom grew weaker across the dark ages as the Aedrinarian kingdoms fractured and broke apart. Norvjold's collapse began in 2203 as Altruscia rebelled against the Aedrinaran kingdom, easily securing their independence as the scattered noble houses of the barbarian kingdom failed to unite to fight them. Iranno became independent through inheritance, and the Norvjold court in Neapia grew smaller and smaller. Freedom would come with the Blessed March of Catherine, who claimed to be acting on the instructions of the voice of god, liberated the city of Neapia and defeated the final Norvjold occupiers. Catherine would go onto be canonised as a saint as the first non-apostle to be granted the privilage by Pope Elvanius I. Neapia was free, and in the power vacuum many turned to the church, and Elvanius became the first pope to become king.Dark Ages
Elvanius and his successors, Charles II, Marcius I, Marcius II, and Altruscius, went on to expand papal control through battles and treaties with its neighbours in Estrella and Altruscia. The papacy became a political entity of its own right, and saw the spawn of the Orthodox sect who beleived the papacy should never meddle in secular affairs and stay true to the original purpose of the church. Throughout the remainder of the Dark Ages, the papacy grew in wealth from taxes and donations and its influence spread across the feudal divintist kingdoms. The pope held the power to excommunicate those it did not approve of, and held control of numerous treasures and artefacts from bygone empires. The dark ages and latter second age would be the height of papal authority and power. The papacy also regularly fueded and argued with the newly formed Holy Tumbrian Empire, with the papacy and emperor fighting on who's authority was greater. This bickering would see the church in Rassendorf attempt to set up an anti-pope, but no member of clergy would accept the position, fully cementing the papacy as the current master's of humanity in the west. The assecension of Urban III, a pope born and raised in the newly founded papal states, marked a changing point for the western nations. Unlike his predacessors, Urban wanted to use the church's power and resources to better the faitful and issued the Decree of Education, expanding clergical teaching across the divinitist world to all aspects of history, science, and humanities rather than just theological matters. Literacy increased throughout the world over the next century as the dark ages ended with the light of new and old wisdom.Crusade Period
The church's authority would be tested in the 24th century of the second age as the holy land and Marcian states saw scores of fleeing refugees from the Southern Kingdoms. The Seldrinar Supremacy was in its early growth under the rulership of Supremators Hellas the Great and Myras, and those fleeing to the Divinitist lands begged for help and support against the facistic elven state. Lucius II would grant many of fleeing refugees marchdoms in the holy land, giving them resources and land in exchange for them protecting Divinitist Holy Sites. This action would anger the Seldrinar, as they saw the papacy as putting enemies of their state directly on the border. Seldrinar forces led by Supremator Myras would invade the holy land, prompting Lucius II to call upon the faithful to protect the holy land - starting the first crusade. The first crusade would ultimately be a success as the Seldrinar were humilitated by scores of holy warriors from all corners of the Divinitist world. With the Seldrinar asking for peace, the papacy began to divide the holy land up between the crusaders and march lords in exchange for money and treasure, creating a complicated patchwork of various small crusader kingdoms across south marcia. The second crusade would be called in 2364 by the Southaxian pope Theodore III. This crusade was aimed at the dwarven holdings in the Northing region of the Hepatarchy. This crusade was relatively short, lasting only a few years, and ill rememebred by history. Crusader victory did see a Divinitist human nobility take the place of the former dwarven lords in the hilly and mountainous region of what would go onto become the Eldrian Empire. A century would go by before the next crusades were called in the 2460s and 70s. The third crusade was called by Pope Urban IV to defend the crusader kingdoms in the holy land from a Seldrinar invasion. It would end in a white peace between the two states, with the papacy reorganizing the crusader armies and holy orders into a single organization - the Knights of Gosca. Urban's successor, John III pioneered this organization and called the fourth crusade to liberate the last holy lands from the Seldrinar army.Altruscian Domination
Papal independence came to an end with the rise of the Altruscian Rigorida family. A power hungry and scheming noble family from Falzeno, the Rigordia's had been installing family members in the clergy for decades, and in 2499 it finally paid off as Sanctius V, the first Rigordian pope, was elected by a probably bribed conclave. The Rigordian rule of the papacy lasted for another three popes - with Sanctius VI, Urban V, and Marcius III all coming from the altruscian family tree. Papal treasuries were drained by parties and 'loans' to the Altruscian state. Corruption and hedonism were widespread, with Urban V riding an imported elephant from Cyrene through the city of Neapia before being tossed in the river Severus by the beast. Church reputation would be forever tarnished by this fourty-six year period. The papacy began to look like a joke to many of the secular authorities supposidly under their control, and the lack of oversight by the Rigordia family saw corruption unchecked and secular authority rise, with people putting their faith into kings and queens over priests and bishops.Great Awakening
It would take a bold figure to challenge Rigordian rule - and that would come in the form of the Archbishop of Eldron, a Middleaxian who would be elected in 2534 as John IV, "The Righteous." John stampped out as much corruption as he could, and spawned the Modernist sect, beleiving a balance between secular and papal authority. Countless bishops, priests, monks, and nuns were excommunicated or sent to the Knights of Gosca for redemption by John as he spent his entire reign cleaning up the mess left behind by the Rigordias. This did allow a rennassaince of papal authority and respect, but it would lead to dire consequences for the papacy and Marcia as a whole in the coming centuries. Many in the church and beyond saw John, and his home of Middleaxe, as being the 'true' defenders of the faith and his influence would ultimately lead to Middleaxe's succesor, the Eldrian Empire, dominating the church in the coming age. With papal authority restored, John's succesor, Charles IV, would be the first ever pope to see a new age begin. For all the damage the Rigordia's had done to the papal states, they had enriched Altruscia to the point they were creating a boom in new technology and art. This 'Great Awakening' would spread to other kingdoms, as the brutal life of the past few centuries would transition to a higher standard of literacy and development not seen since the Marcian empire. Charles IV declared the new age on the final day of 2577, begining the new year of 0, 3e. The Awakening and Altrucian culture would go onto have a great effect on Nepia. Many of the old Marcian structures were restored, a new basillica built for the pope, and countless religious works of art being created in churches and cathedrals across the land. The Papacy themselves sponsored countless artists and architects. The city blossomed with new citizens and ancient beauty was restored and appreicated all anew. This period also saw the coronation of the first non-western pope, Marhonnius, a divinitist from the great steppes. Another first was the first pope other than St Vitus the apostle to be declared a saint. Rythian, an Alturscian with hertiage from the Southlands, was elected in 336. Rythian became a warrior pope, launching the fifth crusade to stop the Storm Giant Ragnaran. He was also the greatest pioneer of art and redevelopment of the Grand Basillica, and sponsered similar developments to cathedrals and churches across his domain and beyond. Rhythian would become famous for his visions, and wrote a secret book of prophecies that would supposidly reveal the fate of the next 2000 years. Rhythian was a staunch critic of the Supremacy, warning they would "destory Neapia and the plunge the holy land into darkness." A warning that would be revealed as truth in time. Rhythian had tried to organize a sixth crusade to defeat the Supremacy whilst they were weak, but was found mysteriously murdered after failing to convince the hesitant rulers of the Divinitist realm to join him. His succesor, Celestius II, had him canonised. To the backdrop of this development and growth was a growing threat to the north. The Awakening had seen Middleaxe continue to boom, and the memory of John the Righteous still lingered in the ambitious kingdom's mind as it slowly swallowed the other members of the Heptarchy, founding the Eldrian Empire in 410. The empire was not secret about its ambitions to become the leader of humnaity, and the Holy Goose States stood in their way of that. The Papacy had tried to fend off this ambition a century before by having the first and only deposed pope of Mark I removed from office in 320 - but the Middleaxian and later Eldrian influence on the church would only grow as the first Eldrian pope, John VI, was installed in 438.Marcian Wars
The Eldiran Empire wasn't the only great power looking at Marcia as 'free real estate' as the Seldrinar Supremacy likewise used their influence and espionage to infiltrate numerous realms in the region. Capitalising on The Terror in East Marcia, a reactionary movement to the Awakening, the Seldrinar annexed the county of Selonny in the south of the country. The Eldrians reacted by installing a puppet on the throne of East Marcia to protect against further Seldrinar infiltration. To ensure the puppet, Francis X, was seen as legitimate the Eldrian emperor 'obliged' Pope Angelo I to coronate Francis at the grand basillica. Francis would go on to drag all of the human kingdoms in Marcia into war as he invaded the occupied lands in Selonny - beginning a series of interstate conflicts known as the Marcian Wars. These wars saw all the nations in the region pitted against each other as pawns for either the Eldrian Empire or Seldrinar Supremacy. The Holy Goose states was firmly under the control of the empire, and spent most of its time fending off attacks from Seldrinar supporting factions in Estrella and Altruscia. Angelo I would attempt to speak out about this before the war's beginning, begging the West Marcians to unite under the papacy instead of the empire or the seldrinar and fight them both as the 'army of god.' Angelo would be assassinated at godsday prayers, the Eldrian Emperor Edward I has long been blamed for this. Angelo's successors would be strongly under eldrian influence for the rest of the war. It was likely under imperial guidance that Pope Innocent IV conspired with the King of Kernow to organize a secret peace treaty with all the Marcian states in Saunton. Innocent was also compelled the call the seventh crusade, which brought independent warriors from Tumbria and Kernow into the conflict, as well as sporadic Divinitist tribes from the Great Steppes. The Treaty of Saunton saw the papacy essentially bribe all the other nations to return to their previous borders and band together to fight the Seldrinar. Thousands more lives of the faithful would be lost in the final two years of the war before the Marcian states all made peace with the Seldrinar at the treaty of Falzeno - a move that was likely a subtle double cross against the Eldrians by Innocent IV, although he was spared the fate of Angelo and lived a full life without being assassinated. Despite the end of the Marcian Wars supposed to have seen Eldrian and Seldrinar forces completely withdraw from the region, the two great powers continued to influence the kingdoms, and the papacy, from their own capitals as each nation was drawn into one side or another.Eldrian Hegemony
For the next five hundred years during what what would be known as the Eldrian Hegemony, despite a few notable outliers, the papacy was squarely under the thumb of the Eldrian Empire. Emperors would come to the pope to seek legitimacy, or invite the pope to enact coronations, but this was all perfomative and a way of projecting power and prestige to the other human nations. Of the 24 popes to be elected from the death of Innocent IV in 555 to the end of Eldrian dominance in 1000, nine would come from the Eldrian empire or its provinces, five would come from the client state of East Marcia, three from the imperial allied Altruscia, and only six from the papal states themselves. The outlier was the only Kernowian pope, Dafydd, was elected in a bizzare election where half the conclave were taken out by a stenchwater epidemic in Neapia. Of those generally Eldrian supporting popes, only three ever spoke out against the empire. The first was the anomolous Pope Dafyyd, who was an orthodox candidate from the primarily old god worshipping country of Kernow, who was rarely taken seriously due to his strange proposals and bulls. The second, Celestius IV, wrote a letter to be read in all churches around the Divinitist realm condeming the brutal Eldrian repression of the Halshrie revolt in 713. After the letter was read at churches, Celesitus IV would be assassinated whilst saying mass with rumours the Eldrian emperor hired the illusive Red Daggers to kill him publically as a warning. The third came in a veiled complaint from Innocent VI who complained about Eldrian authorities taking church tithes. During this entire period, no matter the heinous acts the empire performed - whether it be the destruction of halfling villages in the Halshire revolt, the brutal crackdown and eldrianisation of Kernow, the slaughter of Gwenyddians, the murder of priests and popes, the papacy remained silent on all. This silence, especially regarding Eldrian actions in the Commonwealth war of independence and the bloody fortnight in Gwenydd and Cape County, has seen the church fall out of favour in those regions. The papacy has also been accused by Queen Rhiannon of profitteering off the suffering of her people during the Eldrian occupation as many were forcefully converted to Divinitism and old stone rings and temples torn down to build papal churches.40 Year War
The end of the 10th century saw the Papacy's protector, the Eldrian Empire, fall into chaos as its colonies of Cape County and Gwenydd united in revolt and 5 years of civil war tore the empire apart. With these internal difficulties, the empire could no longer project its power or support its Marcian allies, including the papacy. Spotting this weakness, towards the end of the Eldrian Civil war, the Seldrinar Supremacy once again started poking the Marcian states for weaknesses. Border skirmishes errupted in the hold land with the Knights of Gosca, claims of territory and support of rebels was made in East Marcia, and weapons shipped to Estrella to crackdown on anti-seldrinar groups. Pope Angelo IV was visited by the lord commannder of the Knights of Gosca, Geoffrey Rallane, who begged the papacy to intervene and rally more troops to the border before the Seldrinar fully invaded. Angelo declined, saying there was little risk of an actual war. It would be only 3 years after Angelo's meeting with Rallane for the pope to be proven wrong. In 1002, the Seldrinar army marched in East Marcia and the Holy Land, triggering a set of alliances and defence pacts that drew the world into the 40 year war. No Marcian state would be spared during the conflict, but the Holy Goose States saw exceptional damage reputationally and territorially from the conflict. To its east, the Seldrinar supported state of Estrella raided its town of Imperalis, and its coastline was under constant threat from the Seldrinar Navy. The Papacy joined the Eldrian faction along with its southern neighbour, Altruscia, northern neighbour and former Eldrian province, Southaxe, Iranno, and East Marcia. The security provided by Southaxe and Altruscia would shield the theocracy from immediate danger in the first half of the war. Southaxe and Iranno drove the Estrellans out their territory, the Southaxian and Altruscian navies protected its coastline. The first major disaster for the papacy was in 1004 when Arcadia fell, and with it, the destruction of the papacy established Knights of Gosca. Angelo IV declared the order disbanded, and focused on providing food and small military support to his allies. Altruscia would suffer losses as Sieanna and Carello fell, but the added protection of Southaxe continued to shield the papacy, so long as nothing diastarous happened. Something disaterous did happen in 1025 when the Eldrian Empire invaded the neutral Commonwealth. This action disgusted the Southaxians and Alturscians, who abandonded the faction and sided with the Commonwealth, leaving the papacy surrounded by enemies. Then pope, John XI, had a choice: join with the Commonwealth, or stay loyal to the Eldrians. John was an Eldrian, so naturally made the tactically moronic descion to stay with the empire. John's actions would go onto further delegitimse the papacy for many following the war, especially in the commonwealth, which saw the already declining Divnitist population turn to the Old Gods in their droves. The papacy struggled to fight the Southaxians to the their north and Altruscians to the south, and the loss of Southaxian support also saw their navy stop defending the papal coastline and withdraw north to defend themselves, leaving Neapia open for attack. In what some might call divine retribution, John would face dire consquences for his support of the Eldrians. With Southaxe withdrawn, and his armies battling Commonwealth allies away from the capital, the door to Neapia, the most important human city in Marcia, was left open. A seldrinar fleet sailed from occupied Saunton and landed in the city, sacking it. The Sacking of Neapia (1027) was a horrific moment for the Divinitist world. Seldrinar troops slaughtered civilians and priests alike, and the small number of mainly ceremonial papal guards fought valiantly in a defiant last stand, but were ultaimtely crushed. Many tried to flee the city causing chaos and crushes at the gate. John was trapped in his papal palace, and would ultimately be killed by the Seldrinar. A single division of the city militia took as many civilians and key members of Neapian society through underground tunnels. Along the way they were chased by the Seldrinar. 11 soldiers stayed in the tunnels to form a defencive line - all would fall eventually but held the elves off long enough to secure escape for the others. The Seldrinar troops occupied the city for a month until an Eldrian legion was dispatched to retake the city, forcing the Seldrinar back to Saunton. The city was in ruins - many of its treasures destroyed or looted. A new election was called, with a surviving cardinal who escaped being coronated as Sanctius XIII. The Papal states were effecitvely out of the war, and were largely left alone by all sides outside of a small Aedrinarian raid in 1041.Post War
Neapia has begun a slow rebuilding process, and many of its treasures were returned by the Seldrinar post-war. The theocracy is now facing an uncertain future as the Eldrians continue to death spiral, and its immediate neighbours no longer trust or support it. The current pope, Sanctius XIV is despeartely trying to restore Papal authority and reputation, but whilst the war remains in living memory it is unlikely to have bright future ahead of it.Demography and Population
The capital of Neapia is a multicultural melting pot of different races and cultures. Although heavily damaged by the 40 year war, the city still remains an important trade port and culturual capital of the region. Outside of Neapia, where 60% of the population lives, the rest of the mainly rural region is majority human who live in small agricultural or artisanal towns and villages along the River Albion and its smaller tributaries.
The vast majority of wealth is horded by the church itself, with the common citizen not coming remotely close to the poorest lord-bishop or prominent priest. A few notable merchant families in Neapia, such as the Senatus family, do bridge the gap somewhat - but they are more an extension of the elite than an actual challenge to it.
The 
The Holy Goose States (red) on the continnent of Prima Terra
Comments