Fonterre
Fonterre, officially known as The Crown-Republic of Fonterre, sometimes called the Six Provinces, and formerly known as the Crown of Fonterre, is a country in western Tuatha. It is divided into the provinces, also called grand duchies, of Nerue, Dornaut, Cosegany, Qitorria, Alisca, and Thyenne. The nearby island nations of Tavinal, Aurizieau, Levarus, and Aarsel are dependencies of Fonterre. Fonterre is bordered by the nations of Calania and Zemylia to the east, Tylwythir to the north, and Ahagwuena and Arduli to the south.
Fonterre's crest is called the Three Authorities. On the crest is a crown to represent the Monarch of Fonterre, two shafts of wheat to represent the common people, and an owl to represent Erathis and the Urbnata Church. The wheat shafts were not added to the crest until Fonterre's transition to a constitutional republic. The crest is coloured blue to represent the Larillean Sea. Fonterre's motto is "For Crown, For Church, For Country".
Government
Fonterre is a semi-constitutional monarchy, where a parliament is elected, but the monarch still holds considerable power. As of 1365 MT, the current monarch is King Francis II, of the House of Renaudin. He is recently married to King Consort Sabastian del Albacete. The current Prime Minister is the right honorable Nuhare Sathikt, who is in her final year of her second term, and has been elected to a third. Fonterre’s national government is bicameral. The two parliaments are the House of Commons, a multi-party system made up of elected individuals, and the House of Lords, a single party system made up of the aristocracy. The House of Commons is responsible for motioning laws for approval in the House of Lords. The two primary parties within the House of Commons are the centre-left Tapianists and the centre-right Vonorics, who are currently in power. The House of Commons includes Fonterre’s head of government, the Prime Minister. After being elected, the Prime Minister serves a five year term with no term limit. Traditionally, elections for the next Prime Minister are held during Tamlia (Siamair 28) of the current Prime Minister’s fourth year, and the winning politician is sworn in as Prime Minister during that year's Tylia (Ocanair 4). The House of Lords is responsible for approving laws passed forward by the House of Commons. The House of Lords is a single-party system, though many members find kinship with certain political parties within the House of Commons. After a law is approved in the House of Lords, it goes on to the monarch, who has the final say in whether or not a bill becomes law. The House of Lords is also responsible for foreign relations. Provinces do not have their own provincial parliaments, as domestic relations are expected to be handled by the House of Commons. Instead, aristocratic rulers known as Grand Dukes/Duchesses are responsible for handling the internal politics of their respective provinces. This title is passed down hereditary, although the monarch can strip them of their title and replace them, such as what happened with the House of Nys in Dornaut. The island dependencies are self-governing. Legally, the sovereign of Fonterre is the monarch of each province, with the Grand Dukes/Duchesses ruling as viceroys, which they are also sometimes referred to as. The grand duke/duchess of Nerue is chosen from the Renaudin royal family. Nobility in Fonterre often have a suffix in their official title that designates which province they are from. For example, Count Richart of the House of Greatwind from Nerue would be known as “Count Richart de Greatwind”. The respective suffixes are as follows:- Nerue - de
- Qitorria - di
- Alisca - del
- Dornaut - do
- Cosegany - ar
- Thyenne - ren
- Tavinal, Aurizieu, Levarus, and Aarsel - vol
Culture
Fonterre’s culture is inextricably influenced by its imperial predecessor, the Rathin Empire. Nearly every form of expression is descended from, or influenced by, its counterparts within the Empire.
If an art form was to be emblematic of Fonterre, that art form would be its architecture. The recognizability of Fontish architecture first began in the Rathin Empire, where the Rutilian style was codified by circular or semi-circular structures accented with columns and arches. After the Empire’s fall, a few different architectural styles developed, the most recognizable of these being the Isainne style. This style took similar designs to the previous Rutilian style, but with a greater focus on a more rectangular appearance. After the reunification of the Kingdom, the Fontish style developed, characterized by semi-circular arches, thick walls, sturdy pillars, barrel vaults, large towers, and decorative arcading. In recent years, a new style has developed, known as the Franciscan style, which focuses on the orderly arrangements of columns, pilasters and lintels, as well as the use of semicircular arches, hemispherical domes and niches. The style is named for King Francis II, the primary patron of structures in the style.
Before the 600s, Fonterre’s visual arts scene was relatively localized, but this changed with the arrival of the Thyans. The Thyan art style followed the bright colours of the Nimadu art style, but with major influence from the Urbnata religion. Thyenne remains an artistic superpower to this day. In recent years, Dornaut has also become a cultural force of artistry within the country, in no small part to the patronage of Archduke Dain do Rumnaberk, whom the Dainist movement is named after.
While the Rathin Empire was known for its theater performances and epic poetry, none of its remnant states after its fall adopted the same level of cultural force that it did. However, Fonterre’s rapid adoption of the printing press allowed for it to become a cultural center for literature internationally. Fonterre has the highest number of publications out of any other nation in Diaghal, and is also credited with the invention of newspapers and magazines
The most popular game in Fonterre is Tratenila. In Tratenila, players kick a ball towards the opposing goal, usually guarded by a goalie. Players are allowed to pick up the ball and throw it, but cannot move while doing so, and cannot go for the ball until it has been kicked by someone else.
Fontish cuisine is famed for being varied, unique, and above all, delicious. Common ingredients in Fontish cuisine include citrus, garlic, olives, seafood, pork, beef, goat, cheese, fruits, legumes, potatoes, and herbs. Wheat is the staple food of Fonterre, although rice is sometimes used in the southern provinces. The usual meal structure in Fonterre is to have a small breakfast, a large lunch, and a medium-sized dinner. Lunch is usually 3-4 courses, while dinner can be 2-3. Traditional recipes in Fonterre include:
- Ciopan - a variety of regionally based ingredients rolled into a thin flatbread
- Potifer - a stew of root vegetables, garlic, and a meat ingredient, served with bread
- Noirin - a meal served in Nerue and the Islands, pasta topped with squid ink and either aquatic crustaceans or molluscs, with a side of aioli
- Kindora - a traditional Thyan dish, a meat pie made from seafood, chicken, or pork, flavoured with spices
- Cremae Calei - a dessert made from a base of custard with a topping of hardened caramelized sugar. Enjoyed throughout all of Fonterre
- Meringue - a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar. Popular in Dornaut, Cosegany, and Qitorria
- Riaclima - brandy mixed with orange juice, popular especially in Qitorria and Nerue
- Latte - espresso and scalded milk combined, enjoyed throughout all of Fonterre
Assets
Fonterre’s largest industry is its wineries. Since early in its history, the vineyards of Qitorria were famous for producing high quality grapes. These vineyards have since extended into the borders of Cosegany and Alisca. In addition, Fonterre is known for its production of liqueurs.
Fonterre also has an extensive metalwork industry. Dornaut has been known for its rich iron mines since the Arcane Age. Dornish weapons and armour were known for their superior craftsmanship.
The warm temperatures in Fonterre’s southern provinces allowed for a number of citrus orchards and olive groves. In addition to their usual crop, these farms also produced a variety of juices and oils
History
See the "History of Fonterre" timeline below
Demography and Population
Those from Fonterre are known by the demonym “Fontish”. The demonym of the provinces are Nerusian, Cosegan, Qitorrian, Aliscan, and Dornish. Thyennian is used to designate those from Thyenne, to differentiate it from the majority human ethnic group that resides there, the Thyans. Those from the island dependencies are sometimes called by which island they are from (Aurizian, Levarish, Aarselese), but are often referred to by the term “islander” or “Vollian”.
The largest racial group in Fonterre are humans. A majority of these humans are Rathin, as Fonterre is considered the homeland for the ethnicity. The next largest population of humans are Thyan, who make up the majority of people in Thyenne, but also have significant populations throughout the rest of Fonterre. The eastern provinces, such as Alisca, also have a large amount of Kane. After humans, the second largest racial population is halflings, as Fonterre is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the halfling race. Elves make up the third most-populous race in Fonterre, with major populations of Fhianna and Anwyn elves.
The most widely spoken language in Fonterre is Fontish. Despite being often referred to as a language, Fontish is really a collection of mutually intelligible languages decended from Gralua, the language of the Rathin empire. These languages are Nerusian, Qitorrian, Aliscan, and Dornish. Nerusian, Qitorrian, and Aliscan are all mutually intelligible with each other to a significant extent, while Dornish was partially mutually intelligible with these languages, due to different language roots, and the fact that Dornaut was never part of the Rathin Empire. Residents of Thyenne speak Thyanua, the native creole language of the Thyan people. As a result of this, official business is conducted in Common, which is also considered to be the language of the upper class. Most Fontish civilians speak Common fluently or conversationally as a second language. Other majority spoken languages reflect the demographics of Fonterre, with Halfling, Kanic, Glakorai and Awnnish being widely spoken.
Territories
Fonterre has a very diverse climate. The northern provinces, such as Dornaut and Cosegany, have a temperate climate, with warm and dry summers and cold and wet winters. Meanwhile, the southern provinces, such as Thyenne and Alisca, have “dry summer” climates, with similar warm, dry summers that the north has, but with milder winters than them. Fonterre’s topography is filled with many mountains, hills, and a few forests. Fonterre is bordered by mountain ranges on two sides. It is bordered by the Wolfspine to the north, and the Wensuas to the south. In addition, Fonterre’s eastern border is set by Lake Ilmatar, and houses Lake Turquoise in the province of Cosegany. In the center of Fonterre rests the Larillean Sea, which feeds into the ocean by the Strait of Volla.
Fonterre is divided into six administrative divisions, called provinces. In the centre of Fonterre is Nerue, which encompasses the entirety of the islands in the Larillean Sea, as well as its capital city, Regleconne. Dornaut, the northwestern province, is home to mountainous terrain and a large amount of iron mines. Its provincial capital is the city of Ravenmaux. In the north is the province of Cosegany, led by the city of Monteau, which is home to hilly expanses and the beautiful Lake Turquoise. Qitorria, the northeastern province, is home to verdant wineries and gorgeous forests. Its capital is the city of Gavos. Alsica, the southeastern province, is a land of plentiful citrus trees and beautiful fields, governed from the city of Leona. Thyenne, the southernmost province, has the city of Aldiotis as its capital, and is known for the mountainous and warm climate that allows for the growth of unique crops, such as coffee. In addition, Fonterre has four self-governing island dependencies just outside of the Strait of Volla: Tavinal, Aarsel, Levarus, and Aurizieau.
Military
Fonterre has a sizable military, called The Royal Company of the Dawn. Along with the church, it is often the career path that disadvantaged people are directed towards. The primary infantry branch of the Fontish military are known as the Dawnswords. High-ranking infantry in the Dawnswords make up their own division known as the Dawnsentinels, and those with spellcasting capabilities are known as Dawnflames. The Vollian Armada, Fonterre’s navy, is one of the largest in Tuatha. It was originally the military organization of Aarsel, before it got integrated into the Fontish military after the island’s conquest. The Cyrisian Trust is the espionage branch of the Fontish military. Its agents, known as Cyrisi, are used both as spies and shock troops. Nearly every single Cyrisi has spellcasting capabilities, and most of them are arcane. The Teion Ronne, usually known as just The Ronne, are the gendarmerie division of the Fontish military. Most are hired from local forces to guard settlements.
Religion
Education
Most primary education institutions in Fonterre are run by the Urbnata Church. There are fewer institutions of higher education in Fonterre compared to neighboring nations of its size, and those that are usually either military academies or connected to the Church. The only formal university in Fonterre is the University of Roamasse in Aarsel.
Founding Date
768 MT
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Fontish
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Major Exports
Wine, Liqueurs, Iron, Citrus, Fish, Metalwork, Oils, Pork
Official State Religion
