Bandhor (Ban-dor)
Summary
Bandhor is the westernmost country in Ranthasha, and it has built quite a reputation as a place of equality for all; at least, that's how it's advertised. Bandhor is the most conscious of how its citizens are treated, compared to other countries, but it is far from perfect. The western parts, which include the crown city, Phylasia, are more involved in international trade, whereas the east, not having access to the seas, exports into the continent only.Social
Society is split up into 6 rather strict social classesRoyalty
The king and his court are the most important members of the land. There are specific laws to protect the king from any kind of muddying of the genetic pool. The royal family is strictly male-inherited, utilizing a method commonly referred to as "inoculation." If the current king is declared "infertile" or unable to bear male children, a council, appointed by the senate, will conduct a rigorous series of tests on eligible babies. When a child is chosen, an incision will be made in the arms of both the king and the infant, transferring some blood from the current king to the future king. The child is now considered of "royal blood" and will live with the king as if they were his sonTemplars/Hospitallers
The Templars or the Hospitallers are the ranks right below the king, and they graduate top of their class at the academy. To be of this class is to exhibit a mastery of the chivalric code, and be a paragon of mind and strength on the battlefield. They protect the most important people in society(King, Senate, Ambassadors). Sometimes, on very rare occasions, they take on tasks too important for or beyond the scope of even the Spymaster. Templars/Hospitallers are often trusted with very important secrets, and if those secrets leak, they are aware of the consequences, which are almost exclusively death in some sort of torturous method. The key difference between a templar and a hospitaller is that a templar is a standard, albeit elite, fighter. When a templar falls in battle, its mournful sound is rung throughout the kingdom, and a ceremony is held with the utmost respect to them. A hospitaller, while a fighter, focuses more on battlefield medicine. They are highly intelligent and can concoct salves and tinctures with whatever they have on hand. A hospitaller, though, is more adept at ranged combat than melee. This is because losing one in battle is crippling, as they are not only doctors and soldiers, but they also provide immense talent as spies.Merchants/Guild Leaders or Members
Merchants, even if they are not native, are respected wherever they go, and a target for any aspiring conspirators, because without the help of the men and women who sell the goods, much of society falls apart. The merchants never stick around, only staying as long as unloading, reloading, and payment will take. Guild members and leaders also fall into this class, because of their importance in keeping the economy on track. Guild leaders who retire from the profession or Merchants native to Bandhor are often granted small plots of land as a tribute to their leadership and service to the country.Clergy
While clergy men are respected in some areas of the empire, they are not seen as necessity for daily life, especially not in the larger industrial zones. Religion, if practiced is often not held in a large church or cathedral, but rather as small gatherings hosted by residents. Most people, though, worship the fruits of their labor more than anything, leaving very few people who actively seek the power of a higher being.Laborers
The laboring class is comprised primarily of lower-class workers. This is anything that isn't associated with a guild, such as farming, which has no officially established guild. Most of the towns around Bandhor are filled with laborers, which can include guild work, such as carpentry or stonemasonry, so long as they are unassociated with the respective guild. Laborers will be able to find work wherever they go, but most are content with their jobs and won't seek new prospects.Drokavick
Translated from the Dwarven word for "Urchin" the Drokavick are the dregs of society. They are the lowest of the low, and this class includes all sorts of criminals, traitors, and declared enemies of the state. Most of the public never see these people, as they are often locked away in far-off prisons or deep under the ground. The only times the public may see them are news stories in the paper about them. Even if they are released or acquitted, they are branded, with a big black "D" on their chest, which conveys to everyone their past. Because of this, they reach desperation and the cycle continues for many of them. Very rarely will this title be revoked from someone, if new evidence comes to light and the justice system realizes they have wronged a citizen. It is possible for people to move up and down this ladder throughout their life, but the Drokavick will remain there once put there, for the most part.Political
King
The king is the highest political power in the land, right next to the senate. The king handles bigger affairs, such as the declarations of war, the ceasing of wars, military deployment, etc. The king is also the head of the diplomatic corps, and is responsible for managing his ambassadors.Senate
The Senate is the primary governing body of the interior of the nation, and is popularly elected. Senators serve a term of 5 years, unless kicked out sooner, and replaced with another selectee. Senators are elected from all around the realm and typically a few come out of every region. The senate deals mostly on internal problems.The Great Court
The Great Court is the biggest and most important court in Bandhor. With it's main headquarters in Phylasia, there are branches in all reaches of the country. The Great Court handles the court cases of their counties, and reports back to the capital the results and details of these casesEconomy
The Economy in Bandhor is the strongest it has ever been, after the economic policies of King Conrad Hammond "The Golden King", Bandhor has been on the up-and-up. They are on the forefront of economic theory, and are currently developing a system in which someone can trade in bank reciepts for the amount of gold printed on them. Bandhor is best described as a mercantilistic economy. They strive to export far more than they import.Religion
Religion is not widely practiced throughout the region, but it is not entirely outlawed. Only the worship of "Evil" Deities (Mate, Pakanga, etc.) is banned. If one deity were to be determined as the "Primary Deity of Bandhor", it would be Grixis, but only due to his associations with order, and the passing of days. That is not to say that other deities are not worshipped, like Ora, or Ture, but because of the focus on industry, many people aren't focused on the practice of religion.Military
The military of Bandhor is large. According to the most recent census, 10% of the population is currently enlisted in the army. That does not include previous members, or defectors. The military is currently on a winning streak in individual battles, mainly land skirmishes on who owns what, but nothing bigger than that. This is where the Templars and the Hospitallers are stationed, being rationed out to platoons as needed.Culture
Much of the world around a Bandhorite is steam, or the cold interior of the planet. Much of the culture is based around the idea of hard work, and how it pays off. Because of this, there is very little time for religion, but science and scientific achievements are rewarded handsomely and actively encouraged.
Public Agenda
Bandhor wants to galvanize the people with wealth, and they do that incredibly.
History
Bandhor was founded around 100 CE, after Gale Tharkson founded Phylasia, it's now capital city. For years, King Tharkson spent what felt like endless resources to integrate the wild lands into his own, and he died following that cause. Other kings would follow in his steps towards this goal. In 312 CE, Bandhor owned about half of the continent of Ranthasha. A coalition formed, called the Grayson Coalition, to push back Bandhor, releasing most of it's control of it's land. After this slight, future councils sought to utilize the power of the sea, and establish trade with nations across the sea, and so the Harrison Exporting Depot was formed to maintain healthy economic relations over the waters. In the year 500 CE, guild leaders revolted against the government, because of unfair laws targeting them. This revolt, which has come to be known as The Steel Revolt, set the precedent that guilds were to be left to their own devices for the most part, but in return, the would be subject to general rules of the empire.
When all of the light leaves this world, the few and the strong will once again rekindle the flame of liberty
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Bandhorite
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Federation
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
The official currency of Bandhor is the standard "Precious metal system", although they are beginning internally to develop what they call the "receipt system" in which you may deposit an amount of gold into a bank, at which point, they will hand you several receipts, different in denomination value, equal to how much your currency you put in. You may use these receipts to pay for goods, and you may turn in these receipts to a bank to get back in physical coinage, the amount printed on them.
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments