Reiklander

The residents of the Klassenberg Reik who live in the Heartlands are collectively refered to as the Reiklanders. These include members of every social statum, from the High Lords of the nobility to the landbound serfs. The Reik is a strict heirarchical society, with each persons rights and obligations clearly defined in law. It presents a strong military and cultural front, with the state holding ultimate power and no public forms of opposition.

Four Pillars

What dangers do they face?

Undercurent of Dissent

On the surface there is no opposition to the imperial machine of the Klassenberg Reik. The strict rules it's citizens must abide by and the strong law enforcement creates an opressive atmosphere that stifles peoples individuality and hopes. Especially the lower classes are confined by the non-existance of their personal freedom. This has created a strong sense of resentment for the state, especially amoung the urban serfs. Over the last century, a wide network of criminal organisations have come togheter to form the Underempire, a collection of gangs, thieving guilds, bandits and smuglers. The Underempire has become so entrenched that they are impossible for the state to remove. Their acitvities and services are now a daily fact of life, and are an indispensible tool for local nobles.

Infighting Elite

The Reik's upper class consist of noble houses, both the less numerous, powerful Higher Houses, and more numerous, less powerful Lower Houses. These Houses are constantly competing with each other for power. Imperial politics is cutthroat, with blackmail and assasination being common occurances. This competion makes it so that no House can become more powerful than the others without significant opposition, but all this infighting takes up much of the noblility's attention and resources

Trade Sanctions

The colonial expansion of the Klassenberg Reik into the Stormlands has gained them infamy and resentment on the global political stage. The The Free Cities have allied themselves with the Stormlords. The global trade routes that connected the MiddleStrait and Mount Dunia to the Storming Sea used to flow largely through the Reik, but trade embargoes have seen most of these redirected to Elamdu. This reduction in foreign trade has caused an economic downturn and lack of strategic resources that the Reik has yet to recover from.

What fortunes do they have?

The Kaizer's Light

The Klassenberg Reik has been led by the Kaizer for the last three centuries. In that time he has unified the duchies and city states of the Heartlands into a strong, united empire. He serves as supreme autocrat of the Klassenberg Reik, and as religious head of the Orthodoxy of Law. Official doctrine states that the Kaiser is a reincarnation of the god Loec, the Rulemaker on Dunia, and that his will is divine. It is true that the Kaizer is capable of performing miracles in the name of his God. The faith in the Kaizer and his leadership have kept the Reik focussed for the last centuries. Over the many years his power has grown, and as long as he leads the Reik, the belief of the Reiklanders in their leader will sustain their country.

Taming the land

Over the last few centuries, the Reik has built a great number of public works and infrastructure. Agricultural land has expanded, stone roads and transportation canals have been built. The dangerous Wylderness has been pushed back into the dark corners of the Heartlands. This has made travel safe and convinient. The Reik is now the largest producer of food in the world, and is able to sustain a massive population compared to it's neighbours. The Klassenberg Reik has tamed nature in ways no other country has, and has built an economy that the empire requires to expand it's reach beyond it's borders.

What products do they make?

The Klassenberg economy is mostly focussed on producing goods for it's domestic markets. The entire economy is focussed on supporting the growing population, building infrastructure and supplying the military. Large amounts of food, texitiles, tools, funiture, and weaponry are produced by workshops and large industries. Luxury goods are produced by local artisans in smaller quantities for domestic use.

What are their hopes for the future?

Carving out an Empire

The Reik has spent centuries carving out a selfsuficient, growing economy out of the Wylderness and Heartlands. The country is at the point that it now requires more resources than the Heartlands can provide. For this reason the Reik now looks beyond its own borders to secure the resources it needs. Conquering their neighbours and setting up long term colonization of far way lands is the next step in securing a prosperous future for the Klassenberg Reik.

A Vision of Light

The Kaizer has raised a torch of civilization to hold back the darkness and terror of the Wylderness. The people of Dunia will be sheltered from danger as long as they follow his Vision.

Demographics

Working class

The serfs of the Klassenberg Reik work the fields, and occupy most labourer professions. Their ancestries consist of the less affluent elven families from the fallen Kingdom of Zendikar, human immigrants from the Affluence, and dwarven and orcish commoners from the old Duchies.

Middle Class

The petite bourgeoisie of the Klassenberg Reik was formed by serfs who had benefitted from the industrial expansion of the Reik. They are now economically self-sufficient and have formed a vibrant middle class that consists of artisans and merchants. They have the same ancestral makeup as the serfs.

Upper class

The nobility of the Klassenberg Reik rules over the land and serfs. It consist primarily of ancient noble families from the elven Kingdom of Zendikar, and descendants of the ruling class of human immigrants from the Affluence.

Religion

The state religion of the Klassenberg Reik is the Orthodoxy of Law. At its core is a belief in the divine autority of the Kaiser.

Cultural traits

Traits that characters from this culture have that set them apart from others.

• Fearful of the Wylde: The Wyldernes is considered evil, and full of dangers.
• Lawful: Strong attachment to the rules of society.
• Deeply religious: The state religion is present in all aspects of life in the Reik.

Origin

Origins - Reiklander