Winden
Culture
Winlanders are a forward thinking people, always looking to be on the move. As a consequence, some outsiders think that Winlanders are all work and no play, always working to maximize profit or do their daily tasks. While like any stereotype its an exaggeration, it is true that a Winlanders day can get quite busy. They are a people of progress, and always say that a job done is a well lived life. They also are some of the most distinct in Ashenfeld for their exposure to cultures quite literally all over the planet. You can find people from every corner of the world doing business trading and dealing with Winlander ports. As such, some stereotype them as master con-men and swindlers, able to sell snow to a Northman if they tried hard enough. While not entirely true, it's best to keep a sharp eye on your coin pouch as people have found their coin stores tend to run out fast when in some of the large Winden ports.
Having long since been a people of the ocean, Winden has some of the best sailors in Ashenfeld. Winden has long claimed itself to be the truest nautical power in Nilush, though this is regularly disputed by Tajir, Vebastonne, and Iadith. The worship of Ivlena is also extremely prevalent, with some frustrated priests of the Flame commenting that they can't hope to convert the ever superstitious sailors of the ports. As a consequence, the church doesn't invest too much into the area, but Winden more than makes up for the lack of revenue with their lucrative trade deals for silks and tea and the like. It is also the second most educated province in Ashenfeld, with schools having been set up thanks to some of the foreign traders who decided to move in. It houses the grand shipyards, able to make scores of ships simultaneously, and is where the Knights of the Whale legion operate the most out of. Their accent is one of the most distinctive in the kingdom as well, having long since adopted many foreign phrases into their common language.
History
Since the early days, the Winlanders have been a hardy coastal people. Their original tribe, being the Woaligins tribe, had always stayed close to the riverways and the coast, primarily fishing for food and light farming. However they would come under threat by so called "terrifying fish like people" coming to raid their villages. While they had held them off, they were being worn down, that was until Heymon came and united their people under his banner relatively easily, though many of the Woligains did grumble at being made subject to some upstart. However he proved invaluable, as he brought security to the land, and the raids stopped. A little after the kingdom was formed proper, a Sea Elven vessel approached the port, having only just discovered them, and brought with them the religion of Ivlena, which took the city like wildfire. Though they still has the Church of the Flame across the province, in the port cities Ivlena was worshiped by those hardy sailors.
Much of Winden's history is told not in the land but the sea, as aside from orc invasions they have had to deal with, their main concern has always been the Ralis Waves, and the Sable Coast off of Tajir. The mighty vessels of the Winden navy sail out to fight to secure trade lanes from pirates and other horrific creatures. One of the most notable engagements was fighting off an army of undead sailors in the year 2356. They have also had constant problem with dealing with pirates from the dark coasts of Ryker Island, wherever it is. Aside from naval prowess, Winden is the beating heart of trade for the nation of Ashenfeld, as its closest to Tajir, and has one of the few stable lanes to Orleia. Such lucrative trade lanes has caused Winden to grow fat on wealth, and it is said that the nobles wear so much jewelry that they are bullet proof.
However as of late, Winden's future has been in jeopardy. Being such a rich province, they have been the object of envy for the other provinces, seeking to reap the rewards of sacking their cities and controlling their supply lines. Treehold especially is ever envious of their trade lanes, hoping to fully secure the southern trade lanes for themselves. What's worse is pirate activity has only continued to increase, stretching the Winden navy dangerously thin as they try to protect their trade vessels. However Winlanders have become quite skilled at river raids, and haven't fallen yet, thanks to their ability to hire vast amounts of mercenaries to bolster their numbers.
Foreign Relations
"Fat bloody blokes they are. I swear I've never seen a more round populace in me life. Still though, must mean the food is good over there, i do like me some sea food after all. Just wish it didn't cost half a months bloody pay for some of their goods, greedy bastards!" -Robert Blakeley, Treehold Farmer
"Ah Winden! Never have i been more welcomed than anywhere aside from my homeland. The kegs are always full, the coin purses are always fat, and the people are always smiling. Sure a few try to swindle me, and some manage to succeed I'm willing to admit, but i always get my coin back. Providing my dancers to taverns is a good way to get tips from the "entertainment" they provide if you know what i mean." -Nadiyya al-Baig, Tajiran Merchant Princess
"Hear ye, Hear ye! Decrees from the Duke are what I bring! Any and all allegations that the most noble Duke is being bribed by the Merchant families of this humble city are vile slander! Being discovered to bring such slander will result in punishment by the guard, thus it has been said, thus let it be so!" -Alan Attilburgh, local City Crier
Winden has the most wide foreign relations it needs to worry about, for being a trade power house means you have to appease as many people as you can. Thankfully the Highly influential (and incredibly corrupt) Merchant Families are able to smooth over most foreign relation troubles to help the local government (also fairly corrupt). However Winden has always had a long standing rivalry with both Coltherstone and Treehold, and as such most Winlanders tend to view those two groups with distrust. Recently the Winlander people have been ever eager to hope to win this civil war and perhaps secure themselves as the great ruler of the nation, though a few voices are also calling to simply succeed from the Kingdom of Ashenfeld and form their own nation state. Whatever the case, many merchant families have realized that war is damn good for business, and as such either way are fine with the outcome so long as their pockets can be lined.
Capital
Winden
Type
Geopolitical, Province
Demonym
Winlanders
Parent Organization
