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Gallica

Political Structure: Feudal Kingdom
Language: Gallican

The Kingdom of Gallica is a Feudal state with a long running lines of noble families ruling for centuries. Its societal structure is harsh, whoever holds the greatest noble title holds the most influence in the royal court and has a larger sphere of influence. All nobles are sworn to the king and provide him with taxes and fighting men to defend the nation and her people.
The importance of nobility is upheld and only ever opposed by the various churches which always have their own agendas. A lot of the country is thus often steeped in political meddling and local conflicts between petty lords.

Notable Noble Families

Athala, Royal Family, Nephilim bloodline
Current Head of Family: King Magnus Athala IV

Ortega, High Noble Family, human bloodline
Current head of Family: Duke Louis Ortega, ruler of the Milian Duchy in the east of gallica

Anderborne, High Noble Family, human Bloodline
Current Head of Family: Duchess Karin Anderborne, ruler of the Steenpas Duchy in the north of gallica

Lionel, Intermediary Noble Family, human bloodline
Current head of Family: Count Arthur Lionel, ruler of the Lionel county

Law & order

Gallica is a feudal constitutional monarchy. The ruling Monarch rules over the nobles and through them all the peasants.
Nobles in galica are local administrators, collecting taxes and defending their territory. They are able to raise their own militias and armies to defend cities and towns and hold significant legal power. They are the main force responding to monster attacks and foreign invasions, if not the first or swiftest.

Besides the armies of nobles and the night's watch of the various cities and towns there exist the Platinum Constables which serve directly under the gallican crown.
The constables recruit warriors and magic users from all walks of life so long as they are not outright criminals and offer them dangerous work in reward for pay. The constables are much like mercenaries but with a much better reputation.
The constables offer many advantages to their members, such as free lodging, an extensive network of contacts and exclusive contracts. For example, government officials are not allowed to give out contracts to unsanctioned mercenaries, but they can hand them out to platinum constables.
These serve as a motivation for powerful individuals to become voluntary law-keepers rather than robber-barons or bandits if misfortune strikes.

Religion

Gallica is a much more religious nation than its neighbors Pucraele and Ravil. The Pantheon of Haven is not only very powerful and influential, but is given significant legal rights and authorities.

The priests of the churches see it as part of their divine mandate to keep the gallican nobility and their power-games in check. If a Baron becomes too obviously corrupt and depraved, the local warrior-priests may storm his mansions and execute him, banking on public support shielding them from any political repercussions.
This does not always end well, and there are areas of the country where the clergy has gone too far or become either an oppressive force or politically toothless as a result.

Due to the influence of Hermes in particular, slavery in Gallica is illegal. It is instead replaced with serfdom and indentured servitude. In most other countries on the world, this is not necessarily the case.

Magic

Magic in Gallica is often feared and mistrusted. Disasters like Tarmsworth and the simple presence of their mageocratic neighbor Ravil makes arcane magic very unpopular among uneducated peasants.
As such in more rural communities, sorcerers and other magic users that aren't priests may be shunned or outright attacked.

Near major cities this is a different story. Here, academies and other arcane institutions have firmly entrenched themselves. The greatest of such organizations in gallica is the Gallican mage's college built at the top of a mountain near the capital.

History

Gallica is a very old nation. It was originally founded during the War of Tyrants more than a thousand years ago. The nation has waxed and waned in power, its borders have expanded and contracted. It has suffered many challenges from both inside and out.

It has endured through the Necromancer Crisis and the Nightmare Wars.

Most recently, during the gallican civil war, the Kingdom was split in a succession crisis between the followers of Duke Ortega and the rightful Heir Magnus Athala IV. The War was concluded when a majority of the various religious orders in the country put their support begind Magnus after he was blessed by a celestial envoy of Vulcan, becoming a nephilim in the process.


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