Iranno
Ruled by a merchant conglomorate since the second century of the third age, Iranno is one of the four West Marcian states in 1052 and is currently under the influence of the Eldrian Empire. A mercantile plutocracy, Iranno has long held the reputation of being shrewd hyper-capitalists with amongst the lowest levels of equality and standards of living in the human world. Once a powerful and wealthy nation, the conglomorate has gone into a steep decline since the end of the Marcian Wars in the sixth century.
Paling in comparison to its southern neighbour of Altruscia, the conglomorate continues to limp on through the post-war period despite devestating losses in the 40 Year War.
Culture
Irannoese culture is centered around profit and wealth. Gold and resources bring status to families, and those who own those resources are able to join the merchant council of the nation. Greed and double-crossing have been a necessity for many to survive, earning the Irannoese the reputation of being shady and sleazy people who are likely to double cross you. This competitive and argumentive culture can be found through all levels of society.
Demonstrations of wealth and status are seen as fashionable and admirable, ornate colours, jewellery and make-up is encouraged as is enjoyment of the arts. Irannoese art tends to be larger than life, frequently depicting 'epic' historical events and using hyper-realistic styles of painting. Music tends to be loud and chaotic, with plays and operas the peak of pantomime and melodrama.
History
Ancient History
Lying deep within the Sun Mounts, what is now Irannoese territory once house giant fortresses and deep mine complexes in the mythic age. When the Marcian region was gifted to the Sun Elves the mountain heartlands would house the capital territory of the future empire. Helion, the western capital of the sun elves, was constructed on Mount Brosia, now only 12 miles from the city of Iranno. The Region was destroyed in the first Soulthek war, the plentiful Sun Elf settlements, monuments, and forts destroyed by Soulthek's marching forces. In the wake of the Dark Lord's defeat at the battle of Adar, the early centuries of the second age saw the Netalii, Alturscii, and Galliyan peoples move into the area in small settlements or tribal camps along the ruins of Giant mine complexes and the Tarus plateau and Rossi Canyon areas. The plentiful fresh water resources, ore and mithral deposits, alongside the movement of mountain buffallo and other herd animals made the region highly contested between the rival tribes. Early Neapian Republic conquests would grab territory in the region, with the land completely incorporated into the provinces of Marcia Major and Marcia Minor by 1800. The Marcian Empire did much to develop the region, building new cities, including Irranicum, the city that would become Iranno, deep within the Tarus plateau on the banks of the Rio Rossi, sitting next to the mithral rich Mount Galasas. The region became the industrial hub of the Marcian Empire, and its mountainous location allowed to withstand much of the chaos of the late empire. The land would full under the rulership of the Aedrinaran kingdom of Norvjold in 2109, Iranno being conquered and established as a noble seat for the invading clans.Dark Ages
For the final century of the Marcian Empire, Iranno had become isolated and developed it's own local culture. The Aedrinarian occupation was met with fierce hostility from the local Marcians who lingered in the mountains, far away from the attention of the invaders. The mountain realm would also become the site of numerous border wars and raids between Norvjold and their rivals in East Marcia, the Tumbric kingdom of Marschland. In 1996, The Molantese family of Iranno were granted special privilges by the Aedrinarian overlords of the city to put down rebellion in the mountains and northern territories. Timanus Moltanese would spend the next four years in bitter campaigns against smaller rebel factions in the action. Timanus was notable for using diplomacy and deals to organize peace, and would end up absorbing rebel elements from the mountain regions into his army, As Norvjold fell apart in the late 20th century, Tiamanus took the oppertunity to seize control of the entire region. Many of the mountain residents flocked to Tiamnus's batter, the Green Adder. In 2202, The Duchy of Iranno was founded with Moltanese now it's ruler. The Duchy would spend the middle ages feuding with its neighbours in the east marcian regions of Picarny and Aquitaine, and its west marcian neighbours of Estrella and Altruscia.Awakening and Foundation of the Conglomorate
By the end of the second age, Iranno had become a middling power of the Marcian regions. Its key location between the west and east marcian states as well as access to the wealthy and resource plentiful nations of the Heptarchy to its north saw the duchy become one of the wealthiest nations in the world as its trade power swelled. Iranno and other key cities such as Sentillia, Capricari, and Mythria became capitals of wealth and business. The cultural shift caused by the awakening saw the rise of an extordinary wealthy merchant class of freeman who began to question the role of feudalism and serfdom within their home. The Dukes would clamp down on these radical elements throughout the first and second centuries - giving the duchy a reputation of tyranny and repression. In 199, 3e, numerous merchant and wealthy landowning families throughout the duchy banded together in revolt. The Coinpurse Rebellion as it would go onto be known would see the nobility ripped from power and a new council composed of the richest families in the former duchy take their places as rulers.Third Age
The new order of the Iranno region was initially very prosperous. Thousands saw themelves lifted out of serfdrom with assets from the former nobility being used to support these newly emancipated citizens get themselves a new footing in the region. The economy boomed and education spread to the lower classes with new innovations and art being created. Iranno maintained its position as the trade capital of Marcia, shipping goods across the Sun Mounts from east and west marcia. A current culture around greed and wealth priorty would emerge within a few generations which made Iranno a fickle ally at best. As the Eldrian Empire and Seldrinar Supremacy began to influence the Marcian kingdoms and bring them into their spheres of influence, Iranno found itself constantly changing sides due to bribes and personal deals with prominent members of the ruling council. Whilst the elites continued to enrich themselves, those further down the social ladder saw the early equity brought by the conglomorate fade as a wide wealth gap and neo-aristocracy took ahold. At the start of the Marcian Wars, Iranno betrayed their East Marcian and Eldrian Allies thanks to a sizeable 'donation' by the Seldrinar Supremacy a week before Francis X launched his attempted reconquest of the Seldrinar annexed County of Selonny. Iranno would invade East Marcia, and be invaded by the Eldrian allies in Estrella, losing the key town of Minos by the end of the war. Throughout the Marcian Wars, Irranoese loyaltly was constantly shifting due to bribes from either empire. Some smaller infighting occured between some plutarchs that held idelogoical alliegence to either great power, but for the most part the conglomorate cared more about exploiting the war for wealth. Iranno would accept its final bribe for alliegence in the final few years of the Marcian Wars, signing the Treaty of Saunton and turned on the Seldrinar. Iranno and the Holy Goose States, then led by Pope Innocent IV, would lead the Treaty of Falzeno, bringing the West Marcian league out of the conflict. In the post-Marcian War period, Iranno found itself more and more influenced by the Eldrian Empire. By the eighth century the conglomorate was simply a commercial extension of their northern neighbour and its riches almost entirely depended on the great power. Irannoese exports and trade-brokering would feed the empire during the War of the Uncles, trading intensely with both sides in their civil conflict. From 992-1001, as the Eldrian Empire entered a death spiral from the Commonwealth Revolutionary War and the Civil War period, the Eldrian Empires began to rely on Iranno to be its enforcer with Marcia. This was a position the now weak-willed and foreign trade dependent nation found itself unable to do. The Conglomorate did manage to organize a treaty between itself, Altruscia, the Papacy, and East Marcia called the "Marcian League" which would call on all nations to defend each other in the event of a Seldrinar Invasion. The Pact was triggered in 1002 with the Seldrinar invasion of East Marcia and Gosca, beginning the 40 year. Iranno would be firmly within the Eldrinar faction for the duration of the war, Seldrinar attempts to bribe the conglomarate failed this time round as the merchants were far too dependent on Eldrian trade and protection to turn their backs on them. The conglomorate faced invasion by the Estrellans to their west and saw their southern fortresses occupied by the Seldrinar. Iranno would send a legion of troops into East Marcia to secure the Picarny region of the country from Seldrinar occupation, but most of their military action was to be done on the defence. When the Eldrians invaded the Commonwealth, the defection of Southaxe and Altruscia to the Commonwealth faction opened up new fronts as the Irannoese desperately fortified their own nation. By the end of the war, Iranno would be occupied by Southaxe and Altruscia and officially deserted the Eldrians with a change of the merchant council. As a reward, Iranno was granted lands in Estrella they had lost centuries before.Post War and future
The future of the conglomorate is uncertain - the Eldrian Empire continues its death spiral 10 years after the end of the war, and it can find no friends on its borders. It is likely the conglomorate system will collapse into anarcho-capitalist states as centralisation collapses and foreign interest in the mountain nation grows.Territories
Iranno is contained entirely within the Sun Mountains of the Marcian region. Completely landlocked, the nation is home only to freshwater sources from the numerous rivers and glaciers within their mountainous home. To the north, the conglomorate is bordered by the River Albion, with steep mountain faces forming its borders with all its other Marcian neighbours. In its central and southern regions, the highlands flatten out into the Taurus Plateau, where most the Irranoese population lives. These plains are extremely fertile, temperate, and have access to water streams from the nearby mountains. The Rio Rossi, one of the longest rivers in Prima Terra, also forms a wide canyon running from north to south and passing through the Taurus Plateau.
On the Altruscian border to the west, the mountains also give way to a less rugged environment as a smooth rolling hillface called the Azurian Rift allows for mountain farming, mining operations, and grazing grounds for owl bears, wyverns, and giant mountain animals. Looking over the rift is another smaller plateau, likely formed by a volcanic erruption 10000 years ago, the Imperator Plateau. This flatland is far colder than the rest of the country.
Temperature wise, Iranno has a summer average of 29 and winter temperatrues in the Taurus valley around 5 degrees. The mountainous regions have particularly cold winters which help to feed the large glaciers that occupy the sun mounts.
Founding Date
202. 3e
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Demonym
Irannoese
Government System
Plutocracy
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Market economy
Neighboring Nations
Comments