[hider=Kant][center] [b]Nation Sheet[/b] Location: [img=http://i.imgur.com/QmwG3HZ.png] Flag: [img=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Blue_Flag_Logo.svg/420px-Blue_Flag_Logo.svg.png] Nation Name: The River Kingdom of Kant Demonym: Kantau People/s: 92% Kantau (27% Kantau, 27% Tawau, 24% Nitteau, 22% Akau), 8% Other Population Scale/Nation Size: Medium: 360,000 Government: Kant is composed of the 4 kingdoms of Kant, Taw, Nitte, and Ak. The ruler of Kant takes both the title of King/Queen of Kant as well as the title of River King/Queen, with the Kings/Queens of Taw, Nitte, and Ak all swearing their loyalty and allegiance to them. The Kings/Queens all have near absolute authority within their own realms, with the River King/Queen rarely interfering with the affairs of the individual kingdoms unless it effects the entirety of the nation. The day-to-day rule, however, is left up to the Council of Five, a group of five people appointed by the King/Queen for the express purpose of dealing with day-to-day rule. People of Importance: River Queen Mata II; King Awam IX of Taw; King Nonu I of Nitte; Queen Machki III of Ak Capital: The capital of Kant is the great city of Mother's End, located at the mouth of the River Kant that runs through the River Kingdom. It is a major port in addition to being highly defensible owing to the massive stone walls built all around the city. It houses the Royal Palace as well as the largest temple to the Great Mother. Settlements: Actual cities are rare in Kant, with only a handful of them existing; most of which serve as the capital for one of the kingdoms. Structures are predominantly built of wood, though the more important structures in the cities are usually made of stone. And while actual cities are rare, there are numerous small villages and towns located all throughout the nation. Nation Description: Kant as a single unified entity goes back to only slightly after the fall of Ta'hamurg, however the culture and traditions of the Kantau people predate that empire by millennia. When Ta'hamurg came the Kantau people were fractured and broken politically, connected only through culture and religion. As a result of this disunity, as well as some Kantau leaders deciding to peacefully submit to Ta'hamurg, the Kantau were quickly and easily brought under the control of that great empire. However, holding onto that control was nowhere near as simple. The Kantau refused to bow down to the God of Ta'hamurg, they acknowledged his existence, but he was a foreign God and they would not forsake their Mother. Strife was constant in the region as Ta'hamurg strove to control and rein in the unruly Kantau, but despite their best efforts there was always pockets of resistance against them. Eventually, however, one of the Hands of the Mother declared that the Great Mother and the God of Ta'hamurg were one in the same, and that all the bloodshed over the years had been unnecessary. This was, however, after the other three Hands had mysteriously perished. While this didn't quite solve the issue, the unrest and violence did begin to decline, as the Hands of the Mother were considered the closest beings to the Great Mother. But with the start of Ta'hamurg's decline, the conflict resumed. This was a direct result of it coming to light that the remaining Hand of the Mother, the same one who'd declared that the Great Mother was the same being as Ta'hamurg's God, had lost his ability to perform magic. Most saw this as a result of the Great Mother forsaking him, and that his declaration was a false one. And so he was drowned by his Acolyte, who was a fervent zealot and still had the magical abilities that were taught to him. The Acolyte then assumed the mantle of Hand of the Mother, taking four Acolytes instead of just one so that when he passed there would once again be four Hands of the Mother. And it was this Hand who lead the revolt against Ta'hamurg, rallying the support of the masses of Kantau and eventually kicking out the occupiers who were unable to put up an adequate defense due to the fact that Ta'hamurg was crumbling. But the Hand didn't take power for himself, instead he arrived in front of his amassed followers in Mother's End on the day of their victory and presented an infant to them. The infant was an orphan, a child born to unknown parents, who the Hand claimed he had seen in a vision from the Great Mother and that this child was to be crowned River King upon them reaching the age of 15. True to his word, the Hand kept the child safe as he grew older and upon his 15th birthday had him crowned River King and ruler of all of Kant. Though while he ruled over the River Kingdom and the Kingdom of Kant, the other three Kingdoms had been given to the Hand's most loyal supporters as rewards for their loyalty. And in 1,000 years since the fall of Ta'hamurg, the Kantau have grown a reputation as a peaceful people. They do not care for expansion and instead care only for holding onto the traditional lands of the Kantau. But though they are a peaceful people, they still maintain an army and will fight viciously against anyone who would try to conquer them. While the scars of the Ta'hamurg occupation have healed, the first River King made an oath that the Kantau would never again bow down to a foreign power ever again and the River Kings and Queens since have all made this oath. Religion: The Kantau believe in and worship the Great Mother, the Goddess who is considered to be the mother of the Kantau and who represents the River Kant. As a result the river is considered to be the most sacred and holy thing to the Kantau. Worship of the Great Mother takes place either in temples devoted to her or within the shallows of the river itself, and is overseen by the Riversingers. Riversingers are the priests and priestesses of the Kantau faith, who take vows of celibacy and abstinence and devote their lives and existence to the Great Mother. It is also worth noting that the Kantau do not necessarily disbelieve in the Gods and Goddesses of other peoples, but they put the Great Mother above all others. Flora & Fauna: Kant is dominated by temperate forests, with the strip on the southern coast below the mountains being considered temperate rainforest. The river is host to a large amount of life, with numerous species of fish, eels, crabs, birds, amphibians, and even river dolphins making their home there. Magic: The only magic in Kant is that which is used by the Hands of the Mother, the four High Priests of the Kantau faith. They are the most faithful and devout of the Riversingers, and it is their intense devotion and faith in the Great Mother that they draw upon in order to utilize their magic. The secrets of Kantau magic are known only to the Hands of the Mother, though the acolytes that each take in and teach to take their place know some of the secrets as well. Tech: The technology of Kant could be compared to late medieval times, though with some Renaissance-era weaponry. Ambitions: Kant is generally seen as a peaceful land, content with the land they have and tolerant of other faiths so long as they do not deny the existence of the Great Mother. [b]Economy[/b] Imports: Steel, bronze, stone, precious metals Exports: Fish, lumber, crops, fabrics, dyes [b]Military[/b] Army Size: 18,000 (5%) Regular troops: The main units of the Kantau military are formations of pikemen supported by musketmen. Neither wear much armour, with only leather bracers, greaves, and torso armour. Navy: The military ships of the Kantau are predominantly galleys and longships. They are generally not ships one would use on the open ocean, instead preferring to hug the coast and sail up rivers. [/center][/hider]