Breland
Breland stands as a benign monarchy that combines a system of heredity and nobility with an elected parliament. Some feel that the monarchy should be supplanted and replaced by an elected leader, but King Boranel remains firmly in command. Still, no other nation enjoys such power, such diversity, and such freedom for the majority of its citizens. The opportunities are endless, and the wealth of ideas that flow from the cities to the countryside is truly amazing.
Breland is a progressive nation that welcomes all who come in peace with open arms and the promise of honest wages for honest work. Its progressive nature, however, provides a home for those who wish to engage in less than honest work, especially in the larger cities. The nation works hard to maintain the Treaty of Thronehold, for King Boranel believes that peace is a better road to travel than war.
The rest of Khorvaire knows Breland for its manufactured goods and heavy industry. The smelters and forges of Sharn, for example, produce relatively inexpensive weapons and armor. While these aren't as well made and ornate as those turned out by the Mror Holds or Karrnath, they work just fine and cost significantly less. Sharn also turns ore and other raw materials into processed goods; House Cannith and the shipwrights of Zilargo purchase much of Sharn's output for use in the construction of ships and vehicles. Other industrial centers can be found in Wroat, Galethspyre, and and Starilaskur.
At its worst, the nation is a hotbed for corruption, rampant profiteering, and people placing personal wealth above their community. But at its best, it is a bastion of freedom that stands up for the wellbeing of its people, and works towards peace and growth.
Structure
King Boranel rules Breland. A direct descendant of the independent nation of Breland’s first leader, Wroann, daughter of Jarot, Boranel carries on the traditions of both Galifar and the Brelish crown. A monarchy, Breland also has a partially elected parliament that works alongside the king and the royal court to govern the country. The parliament makes the laws in Breland, the crown enforces them. The crown also conducts all business related to foreign affairs and national security, sometimes informing the parliament, more often not. While Boranel is the head of state, the Brelish Parliament handles much of the day to day legislation. The Nobles Chamber has a representative of the 27 largest land-holding families, while the Commons chamber consists of officials elected in two-year cycles.
The people of Breland love their king, his vassal lords respect and even revere him, and the parliament sees him as fair and just. It is said that the people of Breland will follow Boranel anywhere, and this has been demonstrated many times in the course of his thirty-seven-year reign.
As Boranel gets older, concerns revolving around succession begin to manifest. One plan, mostly discussed quietly and in secret, suggests that the nation abandon the monarchy after Boranel's death and turn over more power and authority to the parliament. Another plan, hopes that one of Boranel's children will fill the vacuum and become a leader in the same vein as his or her father. So far, none of the heirs have demonstrated more than a passing ability at ruling the nation.
To further spread the tenets of democracy, Breland regularly holds town meetings throughout the realm. At these meetings, the common folk are recognized and allowed to state their opinions for the crown and parliament to hear.
Culture
The people of Breland have a strong tradition of independence and free thought. They are fiercely loyal to the kingdom and to the Brelish crown, but at the same time they don’t want the laws interfering with their daily lives. The Brelish always speak their minds, and while they treat aristocrats and officers with the respect due to rank, they still consider themselves to be the equal of any other person. While the Brelish expect their voices to be heard, they also take the time to listen to others, and they are known for their tolerance. There is also a strong strain of skeptical pragmatism in the Brelish character; the Brelish always try to find the catch in every deal, question what others take on faith, and look for a personal advantage in any situation. This attitude has its dark side, and the major cities of Breland have the highest crime rates in Khorvaire.
The Brelish are proud of the size and power of their nation. Where Aundairian are often smug and slightly condescending, the Brelish tend to be brash and loud. They know their nation is the greatest power in Khorvaire. This strength gives them a bit of an overbearing presence when traveling. They often like to visit other lands and see new sights, but they carry their nationality on their sleeve (sometimes literally), and won’t hesitate to compare the accomplishments of others to things “back home.”
In 986 YK, ten years before the Treaty of Thronehold, King Boranel forced the Brelish parliament to pass the Warforged Decree. This decree recognized Warforged as sentient beings and granted them the rights afforded other Brelish citizens—once the Last War was over. This edict allowed Boranel to emancipate the warforged while still guaranteeing their service for the duration of the war. It had the secondary effect of making the Brelish warforged more committed to the Brelish cause, and it attracted warforged from other nations to rally to the Brelish banner—especially warforged from the northern nations of Aundair and Thrane.
History
Breland, one of the original Five Nations founded by the human settlers of Khorvaire, mixes a proud agricultural tradition with a more urban and industrial outlook, especially in its massive cities. As with the other Five Nations, Breland's borders have fluctuated over time. It was named for King Galifar I’s daughter, Brey, in the year 32 YK.
Distance allowed Breland to develop in ways that were distinctly different from the other human nations. While each of the human settlements that eventually became the Five Nations took root in the rich land surrounding the Scions Sound, the ancestors of the Brelish nation felt confined along the shore of the Brey River. The original settlement, built near where Aruldusk stands today, was quickly abandoned and its people moved south, following the river until they found a site that pleased them.
From the moment Brey ir’Wynarn took the ruling chair in the Great Hall of Wroat, the descendants of Galifar have governed the nation of Breland and its people. Governor-princes in line to one day inherit the throne of Galifar administered the nation until 894 YK, when the kingdom collapsed and each scion declared his nation to be a sovereign and independent country. In that year, Wroann, fifth scion and youngest daughter of Galifar’s last king, Jarot, named herself Queen of Breland until she could rightfully claim the crown of Galifar and reunite the shattered kingdom.
Wroann was the exact opposite of her twin brother, Wrogar of Aundair. She was thin and agile, serious, and a lover of the finer things in life. She also cherished freedom above all things, and promised to make Breland a place where people would be judged by word and deed instead of social class.
When Jarot died, Wroann broke with her twin regarding the line of succession. Instead of supporting Mishann of Cyre’s claim to the throne, Wroann gathered her vassals and declared her own intention to rule the kingdom. Ironically, the freedom-loving nation of Breland was one of the key instigators of the Last War, for her leader wanted to spread her ideas of liberty and increased democracy to all by force and sword.
Demography and Population
Population approx. 20 million. 44% human, 14% gnome, 10% khoravar (half-elf), 8% elf, 7% dwarf, 4% halfling, 4% changeling, 4% goblinoid, 3% orc, 2% other
Territories
Breland is the geographically largest of Khorvaire's countries, and the only of the Five Nations to not border the Scion's Sound. It stretches from the Graywall Mountains to the west where it borders Droaam, down to Redcliff Bay in the southwest. The southern border is shared with Zilargo and Darguun, moving further east, marked out by the Howling Peaks and Seawall Mountains respectively. To the northeast, the once hotly-contested border with Cyre is now sharply drawn by the wall of dead-grey Mournland mist. Northwards, the Brey River and Lake Brey separates out Thrane, the Blackcaps and Greenhaunt Forest mark the edge of Aundair, and the Silver Lake and River separate the Eldeen Reaches - with every way through these rivers and mountains being sites of heavy fighting during the war.
Military
Brelish military might is centered on regional units, supported by elites with the best equipment money can buy. Embracing artifice faster than any nation except Cyre, they were the first to utilize the warforged Titan, and the later sentient warforged. The sheer amount of wealth and resources channeled to local House Cannith divisions gave them better equipment and unique artifice too, quickly outfitting many village militia and levies.
With their freedom threatened, Breland quickly turned their larger population and resources to a war footing, quickly becoming an industrial powerhouse. The pride of their force were the two Floating Fortresses, Argonth and Dajara. While Dajara was lost in the Mourning, the fortress Argonth still patrols the borders, a mobile castle floating a few metres off the ground, big enough to create a small village around it wherever it sets down.
Breland's wealth also lends itself to mercenary units. Raised out of Droaam's monstrous population, Zilargo wands, House Deneith Blademarks, and hired Valenar cavalry searching for an enemy to fight were all found during the Last War, and many of Breland's standing army has been released in favour of raising mercenaries when they're needed in the future.
Their elite units have been the stuff of legend since the war. Shock cavalry riding magebred bears, the Ranger Wardens that patrol the wilderness forests, and the decorated Redcloak Division are only some of their specialised forces. The King's Citadel is the peak of their forces, however - a paramilitary organization that answers directly to the crown, it supports the elite strike forces of the King's Swords, the spellcasters of the King's Wands, bodyguards in the Shields, and the clandestine agents of the Dark Lanters, all of which have been pivotal to their military.
Religion
The Brelish are perhaps the least religious of the Five Nations, but worship of the Sovereign Host is still very popular, with temples in all major cities. The Silver Flame also has many supporters, but in general, a loose respect for the Sovereigns with little active worship is becoming more and more popular.
Foreign Relations
Breland has gone to great lengths to secure their peace after the war. Thrane was one of their bitterest rivals, and their shared border still bears scars of the fighting. The relationship is still rocky today, with many Brelish viewing the theocracy as tyrannical and and threat to their freedom.
Karrnath and Breland hold a tentative peace, as their conflict was more limited during the war. Sharing no common borders, they only clashed in limited engagements, and one notable attempt to invade Sharn by sea. Despite this, they tend to view the Karrns with suspicion, and the specter of undead troops and ruthless warlords still looms large in the common imagination.
Aundair is currently Breland's largest trade partner, and they hold generally good relations. Naval skirmishes over Lake Galifar and holding the Blackcaps left enough harm in the early days of the war, but by the last decades their shared border was mostly quiet, a temporary ceasefire holding while both nations turned their attention on Thrane and Cyre. This peace continued after the Treaty of Thronehold, and
Breland's fiercest fighting may have been with Cyre, but Boranel's leadership has pivoted strongly to a principle of generosity to the Cyran refugees. He has offered temporary occupation of lands in the eastern reaches to the survivors, a move with mixed popularity among the people but showing much-needed compassion to the Cyrans. This small region, centered on a still-developing town of New Cyre, is under the unofficial rule of Prince Oargev, and the growing needs of the Cyran refugees are needing an proper, official solution soon.
Zilargo has been a long-running ally of Breland, and functioned as a protectorate during the war, and an independant country afterwards. Darguun has always caused trouble, however, with many of the goblinoid Llesh encouraging raids and pillaging into Brelish lands. Tensions with Droaam are high, however - it was once the sparsely-populated Western Breland, and many say the country was founded in Brelish blood after the expulsion of most of its settled people. Boranel still refuses to recognise Droaam, and was part of the reason it was not included in the Treaty of Thronehold. House Tharashk remains the only real diplomatic tie between the two nations officially, but in practice the border is quite porous, with individuals allowed to pass while Breland mostly looks out for warbands and raiders looking to cause trouble.
"We gain what we give"
Founding Date
32 YK
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Brelish
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Major Exports
Weapons, armor, tools, refined materials, metalwork, manufactured goods, heavy industry
Major Imports
Grain, raw ore, arcane services, textiles, luxury goods, wine, ale, cheese, livestock
Controlled Territories
Comments