[center][h3][b][u]House Chalarensis[/u][/b][/h3] [b][i]'The wind makes leaves of mountains.'[/i][/b] [img]http://i.imgur.com/POZGDxX.png[/img] [h3][b][u]The Grand Duchy of the Kawachian Islands[/u][/b][/h3] [img]http://i.imgur.com/1wbpyu3.png[/img] [hider=Map][img]http://i.imgur.com/37WNZeP.png[/img][/hider][/center] [hider=Notable House Members][color=coral][b][u]Head of House:[/u][/b][/color] Grand Duke [u][b]Ormoneric Tribal[/b][/u], Lord Steward and Khagan of the Kawachian Islands, Malefactor Advocate to the Emperor of Ethica, Despot of the Island of Verbera, Khan of the Island of Acantha, Anax of the Island of Balatro, Emir of the Island of Iecur, Jagir of the Island of Cetus, Supreme Sentinel of the Southern Sea, True Ruler of the Province of Ignis, the Province of Dreiben, and the Sun Isles by Right of Conquest and Merit, Grand Admiral of the Kawachian Navy, Fleet Admiral of the First Fleet of Kawachia, and Grand Marshal of the Ducal Forces of Kawachia. (M, 52, Single) [b][u][color=coral]Governors:[/color][/u][/b] [list][*]Sarapis Tribal, Governor of Acantha (F, 24, Single) [*]Ephidel Tribal, Governor of Iecur (M, 31, Single) [*]Amatus Phano, Governor of Cetus (M, 38, Married) [*]Knossos Argider, Governor of Balatro (M, 34, Single)[/list] [b][u][color=coral]Acclaimed Personalities:[/color][/u][/b] [list][*]Dienda Argider, Retired (M, ???, Widowed) [*]Kokuran Phano, Rear Admiral Eighth Fleet (M, 28, Single) [*]Haughray Vagost, Major General Acantha First Ducal Army (F, 75, Single) [*]Aechalchleon Tribal, Vice Admiral Second Fleet (M, 27, Married) [*]Mottay 'Hammerhand' Vagost, Brigadier General Iecur First Ducal Army (M, 40, Divorced) [*]Trianne Argider, Admiral First Fleet (F, 46, Divorced) [/list][/hider][u][b][color=coral]House Specialty:[/color][/b][/u] [b][u]Siegecraft[/u][/b] House Chalarensis has a longstanding history of being highly effective at waging sieges. From the ancient times when their founder Chalarensis sacked the city of Prachtvoll, to their successful repulsion of the Veletian Usurper Andrea's siege of the capital city of Indignor, any learned scholar of history in Ethica can be relied upon to cite numerous sieges waged by House Chalarensis when asked to recount pivotal battles of the reunification.[hider=House Ancestral Artifact][u][b][color=coral]The Derecho Blade[/color][/b][/u] The Derecho Blade is a heavy cavalry saber, reputedly the same one emblazoned upon the crest of House Chalarensis and purportedly used by the founder himself in the unification wars. Originally owned by an unknown Duke within the now-province of Ignis, it was seized by the House Founder as a prize of conquest prior to their subjugation by Empress Lalaifia. Despite the historically turbulent affairs of House Chalarensis, the artifact has by all accounts been kept more or less secure in a small number of vaults for most of its documented existence, with few recorded instances of use by house members. For a time in the late thirteenth century some members of the house brought it with them as an official armament to tournaments, though due to various circumstances it never saw use. This ended when Mottay 'Hammerhand' Vagost nearly lost the blade as a bet in a children's street game, leading to its permanent storage in a high-security vault of the Ducal fortress of Indignor. The actual power of the blade, if any, remains a mystery to modern scholars. Ancient accounts from the wars of unification vary wildly in regards to its potency. Some stories state that the blade was slow-forged in arcane fire, necessary to render steel strong enough to withstand blows from its wielder (whether this was the original Chalarensis or the nameless Duke is unknown), purportedly strong enough to shatter any normal weapon they used. Other tales state that when used, the wind always turned to be at the back of the wielder. Still others say that the weapon was capable of conjuring actual derechos whenever thrust straight up towards the Heavens. There is little actual evidence to support any particular claim. No living member of House Chalarensis claims to have wielded the blade or to know what powers, if any, that it might possess.[/hider][hider=The Kawachian People][b][u][color=coral]Racial Appearance:[/color][/u][/b] The peoples of the Kawachian Islands have been indigenous to those lands since before the wars of unification, being considered ethnically distinct from any of the peoples of mainland Ethica. They are generally dark-skinned, with hair that grows to increase a greater amount of surface area across the top of the brow, and with all hair amongst their population being black in coloration and growing straight, being neither wavy, curly, or scraggly by circumstance of birth. Any additional differences from the other races of men present on the mainland or otherwise are considered to be negligible. Interbreeding is possible and commonplace, they possess an average degree of magical potency and natural talent relative to other species of men, their lifespans are equivalent, and their physical capabilities are equal in all regards. [b][u][color=coral]Cultural Traits:[/color][/u][/b] Prior to their subjugation by House Chalarensis in the wake of the unification wars, the native Kawachian people possessed a modest culture wherein they worshipped a pantheon of foreign gods distinct from those worshiped upon Ethica. The extent and depth of their culture was limited by their oral tradition and (relatively) low numbers, complicated by frequent skirmishes with local Mongerl populations and cicada-timed plagues. Upon their subjugation, any cultural identity they may have existed was effectively obliterated as a side effect. The modern Kawachian natives worship a small number of their original gods, although these are obscure and vary by island. Little to no documentation of their religion exists due to widespread apathy by the administration of House Chalarensis. Kawachian culture otherwise varies wildly depending upon island and the relevant geopolitical climate, the best-known being the decadent and hedonistic populace of Northern Verbera, particularly within the city of Lautitia but extending out as far as the small village of Venatio. Little official documentation of other forms of modern native culture exists due to the xenophobic and paranoid tendencies of House Chalarensis.[/hider][u][b][color=coral]Capital:[/color][/b][/u] [u][b]Indignor (Verbera)[/b][/u] (Pop: 12,000). [b][u][color=coral]Major Settlements:[/color][/u][/b] [list][*]Lautitia (Verbera) [*]Iugulum (Verbera) [*]Sudor (Cetus) [*]Kayo Lighthouse (Balatro) [*]Claustra (Iecur) [*]Meridies (Acantha)[/list] [b][u][color=coral]Population:[/color][/u][/b] [b][u]1.2 Million[/u][/b] [sub]Excluding Mongerls[/sub][hider=History]The history of House Chalarensis begins not on the islands of Kawachia, but on the coast of Southeastern Ignis, several decades prior to the unification wars. The house founder Chalarensis (whose last name is lost to the annuals of history) was born to an obscure Baron, who inherited his holdings at a young age due to war. Responding in kind, Chalarensis apparently conquered several surrounding lands and regions, eventually defeating an unknown Duke in battle and thereafter proclaiming for himself the title of Archduke by right of conquest and merit, planning to eventually assimilate additional surrounding lands to become king. Such plans never came to pass, as Empress Lalaifia then entered Ignis and was enthusiastically joined by the neighboring kingdom of House Duvard. Due either to a mishap of communications or a poor initial evaluation by the Archduke, the Empress swept through Chalarensis' lands, sweeping aside the militias therein and laying siege to his ancestral hold whereupon he was forced to surrender. Most of his lands were remitted to House Duvard as part of the unification of Ignis, though at the time Archduke Chalarensis was permitted to retain possession of his ancestral palace. Despite the disastrous initial conflict, Chalarensis nonetheless became a vital and valued vassal of the Empress. His natural talent and skill for siegecraft and as a tactician led him to victory many times in battles across Ethica. The Archduke became fairly popular and renown for his effectiveness, and official plans and negotiations were made to absorb his bloodline into House Duvard through marriage in order to retain him as an adviser in a direct capacity to the empress. These arrangements changed near the end of the wars, during the unification of Dreiben. At first Chalarensis was merely called upon to combat the horselords and their armies, as he was amongst other things an accomplished leader of massed cavalry charges and was noteworthy for leading a number of such charges personally. However, after a failed initial siege of the capital city of Prachtvoll by another House Chalarensis was instructed to siege and capture the city in their place, and also to capture several members of the Practen nobility alive. For reasons that are unclear, Chalarensis allegedly either instructed or permitted his soldiers to defile and murder every noble prisoner captured in and out of battle directly in contravention to the direct orders of Empress Lalaifia, resulting in the nearly complete purge of the Practen bloodline during the sack of Prachtvoll as a result. Due to the Archduke's popularity and his service to the Imperial Throne, the Empress waived execution in favor of stripping Chalarensis of his title, relegating him to the status of Grand Duke within the Imperial Hierarchy. He was then awarded the Kawachian Islands for his service during the unification wars, and promptly but quietly exiled there along with the entirety of his house and general staff. At the time, the Kawachian Islands were largely unexplored, home to a threadbare population of natives plagued with disease and frequent skirmishes with Vilespawn Mongerls who infested the islands. Initial surveyors had simply mapped the ridges of each island, named them, and then left, and as such the islands were never truly unified. The official record of the Imperial Throne indicates that there was insufficient cause to do so given the lack of a preexisting, widespread populace to unite. It is understood by most historians that the Empress Lalaifia intended Chalarensis' exile to the islands to effectively be a death sentence intended to extinguish his line and house. Such did not come to pass. Having been exiled with the rest of his house and general staff, Chalarensis was able to organize several small villages of natives, gathering their numbers together at his landing site while erecting barricades and palisades to fend off the Mongerl hordes. Using medicinals brought from the mainland in conjunction with practical applications of hygiene control (including the use of latrines, quarantine huts, and sterilization via boiled water), he was able to stabilize their numbers and began forming them into a trained militia. Eventually forming a small military force, Chalarensis then began a decades-long campaign to conquer the five islands. According to notes penned by Grand Duke Chalarensis himself around the time, he felt a pressing need to populate the islands as quickly as possible so that he might build a sufficient military power to ensure his line would eventually reenter the graces of the Imperial Throne. He knowingly implemented policies depriving women of rights, confining them to harems and brothels with the intention of breeding a new generation of soldiers and laborers necessary for his vision of a unified Kawachia. While these laws are no longer in effect in the modern day, their influence can still be felt culturally as most women are treated as property. The Grand Duke also unintentionally laid the groundwork for future policies by his descendants and their totalitarian governance of the islands through extensive writings on his own personal grievances and resentment for his exile, many of his documents remaining preserved and being held as manifestos by his House and descendants. Eventually Chalarensis faded from history, and rule of the islands was passed on. Over the centuries, without the firm and seemingly invulnerable rule of their founder, House Chalarensis experienced a series of seemingly nonstop political disasters and catastrophes that modern historians refer to as the Reign of Horror. The House constantly struggled to retain control of the island through a number of military coups, native revolts, and several instances of internal schism. The primary cited reason as to why the islands' overall population is not greater is the deaths in the hundreds of thousands caused by the senseless bloodshed and skirmishes within that span of time. Approximately 700 A.U., then Grand Duke Eutiende Tribal managed to assert a modicum of order over the islands by implementing the basic agreement to permit members of the House apart from the Head of House to govern the four smaller islands, where previously the Head of House asserted total incontestable sovereignty across every island. This deceptively simple measure marked the beginning of a truce between the four most prominent family lines amongst House Chalarensis, who stood together in order to enforce a proper sense of stability amidst the lineage whereas previously most of the individual house families had acted on the principle that they alone were the trueborn heirs to the title of Grand Duke and rule of the islands. One of his brothers, Konoave Phano, was designated Governo of Acantha, unusual amongst his House for his marriage to an outsider and native to the Xandrian Sun Isles, one Duchess Andrea. She encouraged Konoave to declare himself Grand Duke of the Kawachian Islands, and shortly he was murdered. The responsible party remains unknown to this day, although nearly all authorities of note agree that the most likely suspects were Duchess Andrea herself or Grand Duke Eutiende. Regardless, Andrea proceeded to blame Eutiende, declaring herself Grand Duchess of the Islands of Kawachia and mobilizing both a Kawachian and Sunvale fleet to sail on and lay siege to Verbera's capital city of Indignor. This came in the wake of several of the governors of the other islands revolting, requiring Eutiende to sail between each one with his own fleets and armies in order to pacify them. Once he received news of Andrea's incursion, he was forced to abandon his campaign and rush to the defense of Indignor. With Eutiende's fleets having been greatly weakened by their campaign, Andrea's joint fleet was able to easily surmount and sink them. However, Andrea lost nearly her full complement of Kawachian vessels during the engagement and was left without any commanders with experience in siegecraft. Her forces were thus unable to effectively attack or even blockade the city, suffering terrible attrition the entire time until the attack was ended by a boulder, hurled by a catapult on the shore battlements, crashing through the main cabin of Andrea's flagship, killing her in the process. The remaining Sunvale fleet fled, and Eutiende assumed full control over the islands once more and continue to implement new policies that would reinforce the rule of House Chalarensis. Four decades ago, a regular band of surveyors mapping the deeper portions of the Ambages mountain chain discovered a volcanic vent emitting fire-retardant gas, now referred to as Helium. This spurred the eventual creation of the volcanic harvesting industry upon the islands, and led to the innovation of gas-balloons, concussive clay pots, and numerous other devices exploiting natural gasses found on the islands. To this day, many of the gasses are utilized throughout Ethica for a variety of purposes. In the present era, House Chalarensis' rule remains excruciatingly firm and intractable, with the islands ruled largely though a combination of fear, force, coercion, and corruption - though all at the hands of a largely unified Ducal house, in accordance with Chalarensis' original vision.[/hider][hider=Government][b][u][color=coral]The Rule of House Chalarensis:[/color][/u][/b] Put simply, House Chalarensis rules the islands of Kawachia using a mixture of force, fear, coercion, and money. The Head of House is technically merely the Governor of Verbera, but only [i]permits[/i] other select members of the family - all designated solely by the current Head - to govern the other four islands in his stead, with an understanding that the Head has final say in all decisions and may step in to investigate and conduct affairs at any time. Members of House Chalarensis consist and appoint themselves as admirals, generals, and leaders of all military forces. Advancement is contingent both on a combination of merit and relation to the family. Due to the highly promiscuous habits of most members of the House, a greater degree of fluidity between the ranks (figurative and otherwise) is observed than might otherwise be expected. In effect, all militias, armies, fleets, and armed forces within Kawachia are controlled exclusively be members of the House, with native officers and commanders often being confidantes and lovers to them, precluding most instances of rebellion within the ranks. The military and the soldiers within it are granted special dispensation in regards to personal rights, rationing, and training - and thus form an unofficial upper class within Kawachian society. There exists no other forms or families of nobility in the Islands. This is due largely to the excessive paranoia of House Chalarensis, who have been killing would-be-troublemakers for centuries now and like to remind everybody of the fact. The most influential positions held by natives outside of the military tend to be aides, landlords, and plantation owners - who are leaned on heavily and suppressed. A scarce number of foreign traders and merchants who live either temporarily or permanently in the islands are carefully monitored and required to observe a number of regulations concerning their operation as free foreign traders. Due to semi-regular skirmishes with the seemingly endless native population of Mongerls on every island, the Province is considered to be on war-time footing with full rationing in effect, and with travel between islands by natives being heavily monitored and restricted. The geopolitical and cultural landscape of each island is thus, drastically different and each is a practical microcosm unto itself. At the end of the day, all authority in the islands is backed with the threat of imminent violence. House Chalarensis does not claim to rule by divine right, but instead by right of the fact that they own all the men with swords and spears. They show no hesitation whatsoever to kill and make examples of troublemakers, and they have gone to great effort in order to arrange the geopolitical landscapes of each island in such a wa as to permanently suppress the possibility of rebellion.[/hider][hider=Influence & Relations](Work in Progress) [b][u]House Valian of Xandria:[/u][/b] Embargo -House Chalarensis, in addition to resenting Xandria for failing to intervene during Andrea Dustin's coup, have also been unilaterally embargoed by the Southern country due to the Grand Duke maintaining 'True Ruler of the Sunv Islands by Right of Conquest and Merit' as part of their spurious list of self-proclaimed titles. [b][u]House Duvard of Ignis:[/u][/b] Ancient Animosity -House Chalarensis views House Duvard as imperial lapdogs, and also resents them for their integral tie to House Valarien, whom House Chalarensis despises. They also resent House Duvard's possession of the founder's original ancestral home. However, to this day Ignis and Kawachia are active trade partners who exchange numerous goods and services. [b][u]House Gracieux of Violette:[/u][/b] Mixed Tension -House Chalarensis has not forgotten the small incident concerning a certain Duchess from Sunvale and her attempted coup. To this day, House Chalarensis waylays Veletian ships heading to and from Sunvale, while also engaging in brinksmanship and intimidation tactics via naval maneuvers in proximity to the Sun Isles. However, the two Houses do moderate trading in luxuries and currency despite this. [b][u]House Cragmore of the Highlands:[/u][/b] Vague Bemusement -Some git won a rain hammer from some scag playing a children's card game, killed some other guy, got James Lannister'ed, whined for his toy back, then some stuff happened. Also he 'won' one of the scag's disabled kids too, who got sent to the NOT-Tower of London. The end. [b][u]House Caernavir of Gwethydd[/u][/b] Vague Annoyance -Those pricks stole that rain hammer we won playing a children's card game![/hider][hider=Military]The Kawachian Islands have a (relatively) large standing army and navy, due in part to members of House Chalarensis widely considering themselves career soldiers and due to the cultural setting of the islands. However, this is not immediately apparent upon initial observation since most of the additional soldiers are seen in the navy as opposed to the army, with only select cities and fortifications possessing professional forces. Most villages and towns possess temporary militias, which are regularly shuffled between locations with other militias. These bodies tend to be of low overall quality, possessing minimal training and little in the way of armor, typically only possessing a collection of mass-produced weapons in the line of either short-swords and spears. These soldiers nonetheless possess additional rights relative to the civilian populace, and are incentivized by increased rations and access to military brothels. The rate of turnover amongst these militias is moderate, most casualties being due to skirmishes with Mongerl raiders. When needed, militia forces are replenished by levying directly from associated villages and towns with suppressed natives typically leaping for the opportunity to have a better life. Within regional strongholds, there is a different matter altogether. The forces there possess actual, although minimal training. They possess weapons and armor, although these are not castle forged and generally either bought or manufactured in bulk. Moreover, they tend to be led by commanders who have extensive experience battling the Mongerl menace, who have received at least some formal education in field tactics, maneuvers, siegecraft, and history. Forces between multiple fortifications may be quickly rallied together to form armies of modest size, and smaller groups amongst their number may be expected to garrison and effectively reinforce and hold key positions against most threats. Specializing largely in archery and spearwork, these garrison troopers are a largely defensive force. The rights and privileges of the average soldier are not much greater than that of a militia fighter, but the commanders typically have a relationship of some kind to House Chalarensis, usually by reference of merit but on the odd occasion personal. Unlike the standard militia, these forces are drawn from separate islands altogether, so that they will not instinctively hesitate to march on rebellious villages and towns within their station. Finally, within the Capital of Indignor and strategically stationed in smaller numbers within the most prominent region of each island, there reside wholly professional soldiers who possess castle-forged arms and armor, possessing a fair degree of formalized training and drills, and typically led directly by a member (mostly but not always distant) of House Chalarensis. They possess nearly unquestionable authority, answering only to House Chalarensis and with many of their number having slight to strong personal relationships with members of the house. There are divisions in function amongst them, with those trained with spears, bows, lances and riding, siege engine operation, sapping, skirmishing, medical aid, communication, and organization. The true might of House Chalarensis is fully observed in the Navy as opposed to their armies. Each serviceman and woman is trained to the same degree as Kawachian garrison troopers, while each Carrack usually possess a small number of professional soldiers trained to serve as marines. A small number of Kawachian Carracks thus excels at boarding operations, and may unload a modest but nonetheless dangerous and effective strike-group of professional soldiers anywhere that can be reached by boat. The smallest arm of Kawachia's military is the Ducal Aerial Service, made up of fewer than 200 Helium balloon pilots. Each one is hand-picked by the head of House Chalarensis, and has received a thorough education in history, regional politics, diplomacy and mediation, trade, mathematics, and naval protocol. They are all additionally trained in the use of the saber, the traditional weapon of House Chalarensis. Each one is entrusted to act as an envoy of House Chalarensis, to ensure and defend their interests, to uphold their honor, and also to fly their Helium balloons around. They are the best-trained and educated individuals in the islands who are not members of House Chalarensis, being the closest there is to a form of nobility outside of the family as an analogue to knights. The (again, relatively) large size of Kawachia's standing military is support in large part by their enforced system of wartime rationing, maintain perpetually for centuries due to the pretense of actual war with the Mongerl menace. Whole harvests of Hiven fruit is regularly sent to storehouses near the coast on the mere offchance that a passing Kawachian carrack may need to resupply, though often it merely sits and spoils without ever being touched. All in all, Kawachia supports approximately 24,000 soldiers, around 2% of its population, at any given time.[/hider][hider=The Islands][b][u][color=coral]Verbera[/color][/u][/b] As the island Chalarensis was originally exiled to, Verbera is the center of what passes for Kawachian culture and the House's influence. Accordingly, it features several stark schisms in the form of effective law. The best-known area is to the Northern end of the Island, where the famous and decadent city of Lautitia is located. It, along with the three smaller towns and villages along the Northern coast, are deliberately manufactured facades designed to rival the grandeur and opulence of the other Houses. It is agreed by most that this area is actually fairly nice to live in. The area is bereft of Mongerls entirely, and is also home to the Calorwoods, which serve as the Ducal and Imperial hunting grounds. Just south of the Vitare river however, things take a darker turn. The city of Arx on the West coast is little more than a fortress surrounded by slums and ghettos, while the lakeside city of Circen is little more than an occupied labor camp. The Capital city of Indignor, over the centuries, has been built, partially torn down, and rebuilt multuple times in order to accommodate newer, progressively more esoteric and arcane theories of warfare and siegecraft in order to render it impregnable, turning it into a nightmarish bramble of stonework. To the South and West, the cities Cybam and Nemus are very nearly approximations of regular coastal towns on the mainland. Iugulum acts as the bread-basket of the Islands, growing fields of crop in the fertile volcanic soil and serving as a center of foreign and commercial trade, possessing the most civil atmosphere as a result. The towns of Messis and Eo, along the bases of mountains, were both erected in the last fifty years in order to exploit long-running series of volcanic vents emitting valuable gasses. It is in these places that workers toil in hazardous and perilous conditions to harvest toxic and volatile substances from the blistering-hot emissions of the earth, separating and distilling each one into a viable industrial product. Finally, there is the fabled, lost mythical city of Cro Beska. Undiscovered for more than a thousand years, the darkened halls and towers of this mountainside city hosts naught but horrid Mongerls, which breed there endlessly and plan new and dire ways in which to torment the peoples of Kawachia. [s]888888888888[/s] [b][u][color=coral]Acantha[/color][/u][/b] The mountainous island of Acantha was originally settled in the hopes that it would prove to be rich in valuable minerals and ores. Unfortunately, early surveyors discovered that most the mountain range was actively volcanic, rendering most of the subterranean climate hazardous - excessively so, to a much greater degree than expected of such an already dangerous profession. For centuries, Acantha was used purely as a military stronghold, with large fortresses and barracks where most of Kawachia's military was trained and where they built up their navy in drydocks. After the discovery of Helium four decades ago, the three strongholds on the island were rapidly converted to house loborers who would now exploit the previously detrimental volcanic features of the island in order to produce the name famous chemical crops of the Kawachian Islands. The conditions therein are actually of a lax and nearly wholly peaceful standard, as the strongholds were originally built to house relatively privileged garrison troopers, commanders, and professional soldiers in training. The native populace thus perform dangerous jobs but retain a high overall standard of living for mere peasants. Whether this will remain true as the strongholds are forced to expand remains to be seen. [s]888888888888[/s] [b][u][color=coral]Iecur[/color][/u][/b] An island of oddities, Iecur has the dubious distinction of being the poorest of the Kawachian Islands. This is despite the town of Rupes, built directly into a cliff-face, being home to several prominent pearl farms. Divers, many of whom do not own homes and sleep on shanties and wooden balconies perched hundreds of feet in the air, handle treasures worth hundreds of crowns on an almost daily basis. Most of the populace is homeless, but is one of the most well fed amongst the islands due to their excellent skills as fishermen and hunters. They experience frequent storms, taking shelter either in cliff-side caves or alcoves. The city of Claustra hosts the largest shipyard and dam in the islands, but has not produced any ships in more than a decade. Venam, originally intended to be the biggest producer of lumber in the isles, has constantly had its operations stalled and halted by a series of fire regions in the Hebeto region. The volcanic vents on the hill Casula was built to exploit went dry years ago, leaving onto water-based hot springs and mud pits for them to harvest from. Altogether, the peasants are even more deprived and miserable than usual, and the soldiery cranky. The island is usually given as a punishment detail and posting to many amongst the military and even House Chalarensis itself. [s]888888888888[/s] [b][u][color=coral]Cetus[/color][/u][/b] Where Iecur is the poorest island in Kawachia, Cetus is truly the most disparate and filled with grief. Cetus is the home of the majority of the isles' cattle plantations, where farmers-turned-slaves grow rows of barley just to see most of it fed to fat, lazy animals while the rest is shipped off-island. Most of the laborers do not even receive rations, and are expected to grow food for personal consumption in their own time. Militia patrol the fields and pastures, with orders to kill any unaffiliated workers too close to the boundaries of the plantations. Despite their severity, and the greater than normal amount of beatings and abuses by soldiers, the foremost cause of death on Cetus is by starvation. A consequence of the severe cultural isolation of each island is the impact on logistics; the island does not have enough space to service both cattle and to grow enough food for its entire population to live off of. Unfortunately for them, House Chalarensis has decided that their year-round death toll is acceptable, in order to provide their soldiers with meat. [s]88888888[/s] [b][u][color=coral]Balatro[/color][/u][/b] Until 40 years ago, Balatro was considered one of the nicer of the Kawachian islands. The village of Caput was and is home to one of world's only Ammacre Pearl farms, while Inguine was merely a quiet cattle town One of Ethica's most elaborate lighthouses provided a stunning, unparalleled view of the Southern Sea. That all changed, with the discovery of Helium. Almost overnight, the island of Acantha was converted from a training stronghold into the Grand Duchy's biggest industrial center. House Chalarensis needed a new place to train and billet their soldiers, and Balatro became the sacrificial lamb. Ships and legions came to the island, with soldiery forcing the peasants from their homes and out into the wilderness. The towns were converted into forts with keeps made to match the conditions of the strongholds in Acantha. The natives were given no alternative lodging, provided with no suggestions or solutions, and expected to go away and stop being a nuisance. They nonetheless managed to endure, with difficulty, managing to establish meager fields of crop along the Eastern and Western cliffsides that the soldiers would not crush underfoot during training manuevers, and managed to erect crude huts and yurts for shelter. The island is prominent for its notable boundary of tiny campfires, marking the thousands of people living around the edges of what used to be their home. The worst part is, since they stopped raising cattle, Cetus had to pick up the slack. Apparently they do not have enough room for crop over there to feed both the cattle and themselves. One wonders how they deal with that. [/hider][hider=Tactical Assessment][i]As written by Aldric Endlil, Lord Adviser to the Emperor of Ethica[/i] The province of Kawachia is the object lesson of what happens when the righteous permit the wicked to go mad with power. The entirety of the islands is literally shaped, politically and culturally, to service the needs of House Chalarensis. The house itself is made up of megalomaniacal blackguards with delusions of grandeur, each harboring intense, almost religiously instilled resentment towards most people on the mainland, most prominently you yourself. They are convinced that they are owed the whole of the world for deeds and wrongs centuries past, and not only will they not let anybody forget it, but they are decidedly on the verge of being very violent about the whole affair. Thus it should come to no surprise that the whole of their province is a dystopian nightmare intended to build their House up at the expense of everybody else. The warning signs are everywhere. Even though the people on Cetus are dying of starvation, House Chalarensis maintains a relatively large, and importantly, a well-fed military. I estimate that the percentage of their population that qualifies as at least a militia-member may be as high as 2%, and all fairly well armed and trained at every level. I doubt their armies would be a full match for forces of the Imperial Throne, but the size of their navy is sufficient to be worrisome. It also goes without saying that this whole business with the Kawachian Ducal Aerial League has created no end of headaches. Of course, the forces of the Imperial Throne were wise enough to retain some of those marvelous balloons for our own use, along with enough Helium in depots to keep them in the air for weeks if need be. The fact remains though, that the Kawachi islands are the only source of Helium in all of Ethica. If there should be some disturbance in logistics and trade for an extended period, they would be the only ones capable of maintaining the blasted things. The obvious advantages in regards to scouting and reconnaissance go without saying, but the latest reports from Imperial agents in Indigor indicate that Ormoneric is perfectly willing to use them as terror weapons, raining plague and fire on cities from the sky. Naturally, this exact problem also extends to their and our supply of those fire pots. We have some, to be sure, but we might run out. They never will. Combined with their historical knack for siegecraft, I fear no stronghold would be able to stall an advance of theirs for long. As if that were not enough on its own, House Chalarensis remains unnervingly wealthy. They do good trade even with their enemies, mostly exchanging goods and services for more of the same, and they loan large sums of wealth from Veletian banks using pearls and spices as collateral. They probably have sufficient reserves to bankroll their forces for some time even in the event that war should break out. All of these are formidable advantages. Lesser foes working with lesser means nearly extinguished the Empress Lalaifia herself, during the unification wars. However, House Chalarensis draws all of these strengths into the body of their House to the detriment and degradation of its foundation. Most clearly, while the possibility of a military coup is nearly wholly absent, House Chalarensis has practically no popular support whatsoever. Their own peasants and servants would welcome almost any invader as liberators - possibly even the Drathii! Sufficient withdrawal and absence of their forces from the islands will inevitably result in a number of revolts. This also presents many opportunities for internal subterfuge. While House Chalarensis is very cautious about the movement of its natives between islands, they are less meticulous concerning the whereabouts of foreigners who come and go. They will keep an eye on anyone who stays in any one place for too long, but it is easy enough to pull the wool over the eyes of their port inspectors if, say, our friend in Indignor were to take in the sights. The next noteworthy vulnerability is the supply of cereals to their military. With a large amount of arable land, enforced wartime rationing, and extensive importing of wheat and barley, they barely come up with a surplus. A single moderate to severe disruption of any of those factors would lead to instability amongst their forces. Also in good tidings, is the near complete absence of any magical experts or authorities amongst their number. Considering themselves professional career soldiers, each and every one, House Chalarensis is scornful of magic and believes that expertly applied traditional tactics and solid troops can overcome any cantrip or incantation. Clearly they have forgotten that Vilespawn mummery has not a patch on the Divine magic you and I are more familiar with, not to mention the other respectable magical orders who might oppose them. Furthermore, while House Chalarensis is quite fond of forts and siege theory, unfortunately for them their strongholds are largely decentralized, and their forces too specialized. On any specific island they can move troops around quickly enough, but between islands is a different matter entirely - not to mentioned between their islands and the mainland. They could very well lose a whole island before they could move to intervene! On a related note, they are used to having the naval advantage; without the ability to quickly traverse coasts and rivers while being supported by carracks they will lose most of their edge. The dour tone of this briefing aside, I feel the need as your servant to humbly remind that House Chalarensis, while overtly antagonistic and one of the most immediate concerns of the realm, is made up of petty cowards. They are overwhelmed by their hubris, clinging to the past and hurling childish insults out of fear of direct confrontation. They can be intimidated. They can be cowed. I would suggest an audience with their Head of House, or perhaps a decree for a Royal Procession in the streets of Lautitia. Remind the blackguards who the real authority is and let them take out their frustration on the peasantry.[/hider] [u][b][color=coral]Exports:[/color][/b][/u] Pearls, spices, seafood, sugarcane, Hivenfruit, and cattle. [u][b][color=coral]Imports:[/color][/b][/u] Medicinals, wheat, barley, lumber, glass, textiles, common metals.