Lead by High Priestess Daiyu Nuyiloc Xiaolong, Longguo is a massive nation in the western end of the great continent of the world, and referred to by some as the world’s emerald for its lush greenery and the vast open plains that dominate much of its landscape. From the verdant plains upon which grow vast bumper crops of rice, wheat, and potatoes to the towering peaks of the Xindonjian Mountains Range. In both north and south the land is bounded by rolling hills that give way to yet more imposing mountain ranges, forming a fertile basin within which one of the oldest civilizations in history began to flourish. The capital of Laiguantzu is located at the merging of the two main tributaries of the famous Tsuyan river, and its thriving port has a long history within the vast waterway. Further north is the Guanzu river, “the yellow serpent” as it has some times been called. Known in myth as the spot at which the great wyrms from beyond the stars first touched down, the river has been a blessing and a curse for the people of the region since the dawn of civilization upon its banks. Prone to violent flooding owing to heavy deposits of sediment giving it its characteristic color, the river likewise deposits these fertile sediments upon the floodplains surrounding it nearly every year. The danger lies within the severity of the yearly flood, and the unpredictability of its timing. As such, housing near it and along its banks is frequently built on elevated stilts to survive these floods and enable rapid cultivation of rice and other crops in their wake.

The largest group by far within Longguo are the people who lend it its name - the Longzhen people. Derisively referred to as “lizards” or “wyrm spawn” by some others, they have existed since before the dawn of recorded history. Some speculate that they arose from normal humanity through some contact with the wyrms from the stars, though this is impossible to confirm for sure and as such remains fringe speculation. The Longzhen are notable for their generally short stature, with females averaging between 156-160 centimeters, and males averaging 148-152 centimeters. Longzhen are known for their long lifespans, and some have been recorded to live to over two hundred years old and showing almost no signs of age until dying peacefully in their sleep. Despite this they are known to possess surprising strength, and throughout history their armies have been well regarded for not only their sheer size, but the discipline and sophisticated logistics with which they are managed in battle and out of it. The Longzhen are similar to humanity in most regards, barring some notable differences: they have large horns and tails reminiscent of the wyrms themselves, an above average rate of female births to male births, patches of scales or scale like material grow in place of skin on seemingly random parts of their bodies, their eyes show a more reptilian appearance, and many of their teeth are larger and sharper than the human norm, alongside numerous smaller differences.

The Longzhen, culturally, are well known for a collectivist mindset. Though their society has seen huge upheaval since the end of the revolution in 1903, this is one facet that has not only remained, but gotten stronger. With the advent of the new state ideology of Heavenly Socialism, the focus on the traditional family unit has somewhat decreased, and instead this collectivist mindset has been expanded to all of broader society.

Traditionally a matriarchal society, the sexes have been declared formally equal by decree of High Priestess Daiyu. At the culmination of the civil war in the aftermath of the revolution, she honored her commitments to the progressive social movements that had been one of her greatest bases of support. Though the old attitudes remain, and men and women are still expected to adhere to their dress codes, there is a steadily growing sentiment of true equality buoyed by her fervent speeches on the matter. As such, males, while still forming a minority within the armed forces, are growing rapidly within it and all other branches of society.


The government of Longguo is an usual one based upon a hybrid of other models assembled by Priestess-Premier Daiyu Nuyiloc Xiaolong during the initial stages of the Longguozhen Revolution
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Pre-War:
The land of Longguo is one that has seen no end of strife and hardship in its recent history. From the year 872 until 1903 it was ruled by the last of the Great Wyrms that descended upon the world from the stars beyond. For this time, Longguo was almost a hermit kingdom, the Wyrm and its retainers paranoid of outside interference upon its miniature realm upon this backwards world. With an iron fist, the Wyrm ruled over the Longzhen for over a thousand years. In 1891, the people of Longguo, then called Jingguo, had had enough and revolted against its rule. For twelve long, bloody years the revolution raged. Formed of a coalition of different groups, the alliance was not expected to last. The revolution was spearheaded by the radical visionary Huan Ji Zhuan Tzu Bai, and in the year 1903 the wyrm was brought down in a climactic final battle. It was recorded that thousands of shells were fired to finally bring down the great beast, and tens of thousands of brave soldiers matyred against it.

In the aftermath of this revolution, Huan began her reforms, only to be assassinated by the conservative coalition following what they referred to as The Old Faith. Seeing Huan and her secular policies as a threat to their vision for the nation with the false god of the old wyrm gone, they rose against their erstwhile allies, now united into a single army calling itself the National Unification Army.

The left wing coalition had been formed of two principle groups - the Socialist Revolutionary Front, and the Heavenly Sun Kingdom. The Heavenly Sun Kingdom was lead from its creation by High Priestess Daiyu, and on hearing the news of Huan’s assassination she rallied the forces of the left wing coalition around her before they could fracture and lead the second civil war against enemy forces until the year 1912, becoming blinded in the process by shell fragments whilst orchestrating a breakout during the Siege of Djan Loc Hin. With the defeat of the enemy, Daiyu began the long process of rebuilding her home and enacting her sweeping social reforms. Daily thanks was given to the sun for the inspiration and strength to ensure justice was done. The captive members of the enemy leadership were sacrificed upon the summer solstice to the heavens, and the nation rejoiced as the stars drank their fill.

Outbreak of War:
Longguo had, though ravaged by its internal wars, been keeping close eyes upon world events at large. Alarmed by the rising power of the Reiyk, Daiyu ordered arms production into high gear and began to expand the military, preparing for possible confrontation. Fleets were ordered into standby positions, and garrisons upon their island holdings were strengthened and their fortifications improved.

Recent History: Longguo has perhaps suffered the worst of any belligerent nation attacked by the Reiyk that has not been outright defeated by them. Huge swathes of its industry for the production of tanks, aircraft, and artillery have been captured by the lightning fast naval landings of the Reiyk. The navy has been ordered to remain out of engagements unless a victory can be assured, in order to preserve precious resources against the foe. Arms factories are being built with all haste within the nation’s heartland, but it will be some time before they are ready for production. The armies of Longguo suffer terribly against the foe, but they are holding the line.


Longguo is a nation, first and foremost, beset with the imminent threat of the enemy at the gate. The armies of the Reiyk do not threaten their border, but have overrun an entire southern section of the nation, pushing into the territory of Longguo and taking more of the Eternal Kingdom under the grasp of the foul foe. Exacerbated by this, and in turn exacerbating the situation against the Reiyk, the country has yet to recover from its devastating decade long revolution and subsequent six year civil war. Though it has been twi and a half decades since, twenty six years is not enough time to rebuild a country with few allies and few outside funds from complete and utter ruin. To say that the High Priestess and her ministries have done an admirable job considering the circumstances is no exaggeration, for before the invasion Longguo had become a powerful and world renowned innovator in numerous technological fields, a net exporter of grain and other foods, and a significant and rising industrial producer. Since then, one of its most key industrial regions has been occupied by the Reiyk - and with it, the bulk of Longguo’s existing tooling and industry to produce tanks and heavy weapons. While there is hurried work involved in building new factories located safely out of the reach of the Reiyk, the military high command is desperately attempting to secure the purchase of foreign armor and artillery made to use the ordnance of Longguo to close the looming lack of such.


Longguo is perhaps most notable for its significant resources, in soldiers, in agricultural bounty, and in raw material. No other country save the Alfheiches Reiyk itself can compare to the vast population of Longguo, and its rich diversity in terrain and sheer size have afforded the Longzhen a cornucopia of natural resources throughout their history. As such, its armies are seemingly infinite in manpower, and though its industry has been ravaged by war, every soldier can count upon food in her belly and sufficient ammunition to continue the fight.




The army of Longguo is one of the most formidable in the world. In the wake of the invasion by the Alfheiches Reiyk, Longguo’s attention has been wholly diverted to its desperate war for existence. Struggling to remain standing under the almighty onslaught from the beasts from across the sea, the timeless empire has poured all of its resources into forging a mighty army to hold back the invaders. And, slowly, it is working. The advances of the enemy are slowed day by day. New weapons and tactics are developed with every day of combat. With the growing strength of the army and its limitless supply of soldiers, Longguo is a true force to be reckoned with by any foe. And with aid from comrades abroad, there is real hope that the barbarians from eastern shores will be swept from their shores.

In turn, external trade has been drastically reduced. Before the war, Longguo was a significant exporter of goods and materials to the global market. With the onset of total war, however, the government has redirected the nation’s entire energy towards the desperate struggle for existence against their foe. In doing so, exports and non-critical imports have almost completely halted.

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The Scorched Lands, or Aihtaraq as it is known by its inhabitants, is an unforgiving and savage land that has resisted every attempt at being conquered by outside forces. Inhabited by a reptilian race known as the Sahalia, it is a land of immense mineral wealth that has forever fascinated and beckoned adventurers and would industrial magnets. Hostile to nearly everyone but the Sahalia, this is a land where even the Alfheichen can find themselves prey as small armies disappear and great armies starve for want of water.



Pre-War:
For as long as anyone can remember, the Scorched Lands have been an immense desert pinned between an unforgiving ocean and towering mountains. Battered by winds and drenched by the sun, it rains less than a month a year with all the water vanishing deep underground where it collects in massive cisterns.

There are legends of a founding by desert Wyrms who, upon taking human form, mated with the feral tribes who made a mean living in the spare landscape. Whatever truth there might be to that story, the Sahalia now call the region home. These short lizardfolk, the largest not reaching more than five feet tall, have adapted so fully to their home that trying to rout them out has cost the Reiyk, and the Aelban before them, staggering numbers of causalities. There has always been an enemy seeking to pierce the desert for one does not easily overlook the abundance of minerals vital to a war effort and luxury items that can be found beneath the sand. It is said that the oil drawn now is from the bones of the Wyrms who first entered the ancient land.

The Sahalia themselves are as twisted and strange as their home. Their bodies are covered with spines and horns as hard as rock, and their ability to burrow and adapt their skin tone to the land around them makes them virtually impossible to detect until they spring an ambush.

Outbreak of War:
The Sahalia have been battling their neighbours long before the Reiyk came along. The recent discovery of vast oilfields in the Eastern half of the desert has brought on new importance however for a Reiyk war machine that is burning fuel at a tremndous rate on many fronts. Drilling has begun and those soldiers stationed in the desert have noted a strange stillness that has fallen over the land, perhaps a harbinger of a counterattack from a race who has never surrendered even a fist fill of sand without a fight.


Aihtaraq is surrounded by the enemy on all sides for even the ocean is hostile. The need for modern weaponry cannot be ignored in the face of the overwhelming force facing them. There is no doubt among the Reiyk commanders that they can eventually conquer the desert folk, but at what cost? The recent stillness among the sand suggests that an attack is coming and when it does, how many will die?


The Sahalia are the absolute masters of desert warfare. Relying heavily on monsters native to the region and their own natural skill, there is no doubt that they can wage an effective war. Couple that with an absolute fanatic refusal to lie down and die that is rooted so deeply in the national psychology that wounded Sahalian soldiers have begun blowing themselves up as enemies come close enough is causing pause among enemy commanders. If this semi-feral people were able to secure modern weapons, their effectiveness might prove enough to cause a mortal blow to the Reiyk war effort.


Drive the Reiyk from their lands, destroy the oil production facilities, and ultimately bring their enemy to its knees once and for all. Above all, survive.

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Name: Republicca Federale di Fenice (also just Fenice)
Common Deonym: Fenizian
Capital: Viroviacco
Government: Federal Republic
Dominant Species: Solgenio/Solgenia/Solgeniti ("Sun-born", usually referred as the Sun Elves)
Dominant Faith: Dionism
Population: ~ 32,000,000 (mainland population only)


Fenice is a confederation of numerous smaller states sharing the same cultural roots yet existing as separate entities for long centuries. Each state enjoys significant autonomy and only federal laws and ordinances apply universally within the country. The official governing body is the Federal Diet nominally headed by the Chancelor of Dawn. Yet in effect local republics have way greater influence on the daily life. These can range from direct democracy of mercantile social elite, proper republisc, constitutional autocracies or even a small federation of their own. Colonial territories generally have no such autonomy and there the Federation exerts a significantly stricter control enforced by the governors. Interstate rivalries are common and Fenizians are stereotypically proud of their home state. Fenizians are friendly, positive and seemingly energized 24/7. Fenizians are predominantly sun elves who are known for being quite a bit more spirited than what is normally acceptable. While they fit the stereotype less since the disappearance of magic their attitude is still quite overwhelming for those who aren't used to them. Another Fenizian trait are their obsession with light and fire. This is part of Dionist culture and compared to the Crusade Era this is significantly toned down. Yet the way Fenizians play with everything which produces light or flames can be a bit much. Fenizians are mercantile and generally enterprising people who can quickly form connections, yet they will balue family above all.



Origins:
Millennia ago in the distant elvish empire of Ylleria the realm experienced its golden ages. Around the same time people experienced visions of a phoenix warning Yllerians to stop their decadence or face destruction. While some heeded the warning, it made little difference for the mighty empire. Over the decades a small cult calling themselves the Phoenix Order founded in secret. Upon the instructions of the mysterious phoenix they began preparations for a long journey across the sea. The mass exodus didn't go unopposed by the Empire but heavens favored the faithful and they managed to escape. Not long after a major magical catastrophe ravaged through Ylleria, leading to the empire's rapid collapse.

Sailing to the new continent the settlers founded the shrine-city of Fenice, consecrated for the mysterious Phoenix. A new faith under the name Dionism was founded and the prophet kings of Fenice ruled justly in peace for centuries. Yet the kings grew decadent and blind to the Phoenix's teachings. An uprising lead by a female seer said to be the mortal incarnation of the Phoenix toppled the corrupt kings and established Holy League of Fenice. Just referred as the Archpriestess she did not stop at the country borders. Missionaries were sent to the corners of the world and when other nations rejected Dionism this lead to bloody crusades. Fenice became a warmongering country under the Archpriestess' thumb. Arguably these times were the golden ages of Fenice, the true height of their power. Yet the increasingly oppressive and disagreeable Dionist clergy met popular resistance by the people. Around the same time a coalition of nations launched a counterattack.

The Archpriestess fell but not before she detonated all magic at her disposal, reducing the once wondrous city of Fenice to a glowing crater. The Holy League collapsed and Fenice broken up into a myriad of successor states. Merchant republics arose, fighting each other for power while their strategic position allowed them to dominate trade. Fenizian city states were briefly the center of the world's culture and their craftsmanship were well known. Yet over the centuries they slowly became nothing more than a dimly shining crown jewel for ambitious rulers to hold.

Pre-War:
Yet the world was steadily changing. The weaves of magic began to fade, a new age of reason was approaching. Kingdoms collapsed, empires split and new ideologies arose. While the locals always thought of each other as Fenizians the idea of a single united government of all Fenice seemed like a distant dream. This didn't stop them from trying, though. They recognized to succeed they needed allies so they asked a nation bent on changing the status quo, the Alfheiches Reiyk. Receiving weapons, officers and political support the Fenizian states rose up against their Aelbanian oppressors and after years of brutal war they emerged victorious in 1855. The once divided states confederated into the Republic of Fenice with the rich Viroviacco as its capital. In spite of the glorious success Fenice was struggling economically. Their radical nature made them politically isolated from most of the world with the Reiyk as their only true ally. Yet Fenice had no shortage of skilled craftsmen, financial experts and entrepreneurs.

Living off on crushing debt they invested all the borrowed money from Alfheichen into various reforms. The Federal Republic of Fenice soon became a tax haven for rising corporate magnates or people who wanted to hide their wealth. The Phoenix Vaults of Fenice became known world-wide. Meanwhile industrial reforms which supported the adoption of new technology. Though small in size the Fenizian industry specialized in fields with high added value. Mechanics and precision manufacturing were the most prominent. Fenizian gunsmiths and clockmakers were well-known for centuries and Fenice had no shortage of skilled laborers who previously worked in other countries. Over the time Fenice became one of the richest countries (especially per capita). So much so that they began to spread their influence and joined the "colony game". The colonial empire of Fenice is still growing to this day.

Outbreak of War:
Being the Reiyk's historical ally Fenice was supportive of the war. They did this not just out of their obligations as friends but also with the hopes of snatching some of Aelban's colonies and getting ahead in the new world order. Fenice never expected an outright invasion of the Aelbani mainland and as the war went on they saw more and more reasons to worry about their supposed ally. In 1938 Fenice suspended their shipments to the Reiyk after the Isildir Conflict which involved the Reiyk invading a small Fenizian colony and seizing its reserves of oil. Though the incident was relatively free of bloodshed the Reiyk still committed an act of war against its supposed ally. The ensuring diplomatic debacle resulted in Fenice distancing themselves from the Reiyk. Though unrelated to the war starting from late 1937 Fenice was also engaged in another conflict. For decades they were interested in the material riches of Tadeese. The kingdom was fairly undeveloped by modern standards, although their people were famed on the continent for their warrior culture. What the Fenizian leadership saw as an easy victory turned into a drawn out conflict. While the Fenizian forces seemed dominant they struggle to progress with the country's occupation.

With the collapse of the Fenizian-Alfheichen alliance the country is desperately gearing up against a potential Reiyk invasion. At the same time the public has mixed opinions on the Reiyk with a significant minority believing Fenice betrayed their friends and now they are risking war with what is undoubtedly the strongest power in the world. Yet at the same time arms manufacturers rejoice as they found new opportunities to sell their stockpiles of weaponry to groups they previously were prohibited to approach. Including the majority of their old customers who previously suspended relations. The history is uncertain for Fenice yet there's a strange optimism permeating the people, overriding the paranoia. It's almost as if a weight was lifted off them.

Of course there's also the elephant in the room, the colonies of Fenice. As relatively recent acquisitions their hold over the faraway realms is shaking. Revolts are a constant worry while the potential of the Reiyk invasion to quickly take them seems fairly real. Fenizian navy was modest to begin with and the worry of a Reiyk attack against mainland and dealing with their many holdings are stretching their logistical capabilities significantly. There is also the issue of Tadeese. The war drains a not insignificant amount of resources, causes issues with foreign relations yet it just doesn't seem to end. While recalling troops and agreeing on a peace seems prudent at the same time doing so may equal political suicide. So the war with the hopelessly outclassed Tadeese people keeps slogging on.

Fenice is a very wealthy nation for its size and while their industry isn't the most powerful they excel in the production of elaborate goods. They have a large base of skilled laborers who can work on precision machinery, engines and small arms. The Phoenix Legion is an all-volunteer military force which compromises the bulk of the Fenizian military with conscripts only held in reserve. This means Fenice has a relatively small but skilled military with many of the veterans having 30+ years of military experience while elvish physiology means they are just as physically fit they were as recruits if not more. Fenizian elite marksmen are some of the most hardcore shooters with sky-high standards and immense reputation. Fenice is also some of the developed militaries with still sizeable cavalry forces. While this seems backwards the veteran cavalry in fact was responsible for numerous triumphant moments lately. The large number of veteran sailors also means they are true daredevils on the seas. Fenizian-made warships tend to be speedy and handle very nicely. Fenice also has a borderline obsession with aircraft which makes them invest in their production to a disproportionate degree. Fenizian pilots are talented and available in significant numbers.

Fenice may be rich but still a small country with fairly modest industry. They are also rather resource starved on their own and depend on trade to break even. This includes anything from food down to raw resources. While colonial holdings help to alleviate this issue Fenice still prefers to acquire their resources off the market where they can access better quality and often for more reasonable price.

Fenice also possesses a relatively small military even to its population size. Their historical reliance on volunteers means they don't have mass armies to the same degree as others nor they are very enamored with the idea. Using conscripts means they'd have to sacrifice valuable workforce so they'd rather avoid that. On the other hand this not only limits their army size but also makes Fenice fairly sensitive to loses. Veterans who may be better utilized as instructors can and will die on the battlefield and replacing them is practically impossible.

The Phoenix Legion is known for their veterans and marksmen yet when it comes to armor they are at a very odd place. Fenice developed advanced one-crew tankettes which may save on personnel but it comes at their effectiveness. They also lack heavy and especially siege artillery. The Phoenix Fleet is a respectable force for its size but compared to a major power their ships are closer to the light side. Fenice has difficulty to produce capital vessel hulls so they chiefly import them and then retrofit these vessels accordingly. Fenice also lacks the fuel to have their capital fleet moving around too much. As for their airforce the Phoenix Skyguard is stocked with impressive plane models, albeit many of them are on the expensive side. Also they lack strategic bombers with their large planes only used for transport and paradrop roles. Production of planes is generally the bottleneck slowing the expansion of the Fenizian air force rather than pilots to fly them.


Fenice is and always has been a mercantile state which relied heavily on trade. Fenice has limited arable land for its population so food imports were essential. So ensuring trade routes and maintaining networks is the lifeblood for Fenice. When the Reiyk broke off their relationship it caused chaos yet also gave a sense of relief for merchants who alongside with foreign politics began to rebuild their trade lines with allied nations. Fenice has been a modest maritime power for a long while but the start of the war saw a significant naval buildup, initially even supported by the Reiyk. This enabled for Fenice to produce top of the line battleships like major powers and they also ramped up their production. In comparison the army was in a rather anemic state for long as conscription was unpopular in Fenice and most military funds were eaten up by the navy and the recently modernized air force. With the paranoia of the Reiyk invading Fenice this finally brought a change alongside with large army procurement projects. In spite of that the armored forces are in an odd state, held back both by economics and the the Armor Corps' conservative views. Economics wise since Fenice's lifeblood was trade they produced most of their goods for export in mind. This ultimately served the plutocratic merchants and business owners more than the common person. Worker strikes can and do flare up in Fenice due to mistreatment or awful conditions. The mining sector in particular is pushed for more mithril quota but aside from them Fenice's resource extraction projects experience only modest strain. This is because Fenice prefers to import their resources and thanks to wartime deals they can actually acquire strategic resources cheaper than ever. In return they pour out war material at an increased pace, although they were given some leniency given that Fenice has yet to fully arm up and mobilize. The cheap resources of course include food and the agricultural industry in particular is struggling to compete with the dirt cheap imports.

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Capital city: Andatoria
Government: Parliamentary republic.

Name:
Most formally the Salian Socialist Union Republic of Dwarves, Elves, and Humans, otherwise known as the Salian Socialist Union Republic or SSUR for short



Summary of Nation:
The SSUR was born from the flames of revolution tearing down the tyranny of autocratic imperialism. For centuries the human majority, themselves displaced and threatened by conquerors to their east, had encroached upon the deep mountains of the southern dwarves and the forest of the northern elves in the name of their absolute monarch. A patchwork empire of unequal and dissimilar peoples, kept in order only by the ruthless application of force. Inspired by revolution in neighboring Longguo, the people soon rose up, overthrowing their monarch in a brutal struggle that lasted nearly a decade but at last saw the nation ruled by the people. Salia itself stretches from alpine forests in the north and impassable mountain ranges in the south, straddling vast central plains that sweep from the nation's border in the east towards the sea in the west. The nation's demographics roughly follow the same north to south division, consisting of nomadic elves, pastoral humans, and heavily urbanized dwarves. What above ground cities do exist are typically built upon rivers that bisect the great plains, and are relatively mixed in terms of their populations. It was in these that the revolution first erupted, the resulting conflict little noticed outside of their walls for years.

History:

Pre-War:

The Republic is relatively new on the world stage, the nationwide civil war that erupted following the outbreak of revolution in 1917 only subsiding in 1928. Prior to this its precursor state, the Salian Empire, routinely waged wars to its east, west, and south, most infamously against Jingguo. The last of these brutal wars, in which tens of thousands died in cramp tunnel fighting beneath the mountains that separated the two nations, eventually led to the outbreak of revolution in both autocracies leading directly to the formation of Longguo and the SSUR.

Reeling from the destruction and loss of life of the civil war, which saw factional conflicts both against reactionary forces and between rival revolutionary cadres, the Republic has spent the past decade rebuilding and rearming, originally expecting an imperialist reaction from Aelban. Basing off of a strategic posture that foresaw a seaborne invasion, the Republic spent years strengthening coastal defense batteries, improving the strength of the army, and further industrializing the dwarven fortresses while utterly neglecting the navy, figuring that such an investment would be as good as lost.

Outbreak of War:

The fall of the Aelban Empire served only to prove that if anything, those fearful of imperialist aggression had thought too small. Viewing the Reiyk not just a risk to the Union, but to all free peoples, the Salian people swiftly resolved themselves that opposing this new menace was their international duty. Having already taken strides to arm and defend themselves, they pledged themselves to the allies as soon as Longguo was invaded, opening the mountain passes to their former enemies and turning their vast industrial capacity to replenishing what they lost.

Recent History:

Those at the highest levels of the Union fully expect an invasion from the Reiyk, and have already begun to mobilize the nation onto a wartime footing. There is little that concerns the Republic more than the possibility of a dual offensive against their own coastline and a renewed push against Longguo, the most catastrophic projections estimating that a focused invasion would see them driven back into the mountains in months. To avoid such a brutal fate, great projects have been started to instill patriotic pride in the hearts of the people to stand fast against the coming storm.

Pressing Issues:
The civil war, and subsequent decisions, have left deep wounds upon the people of Salia. With their lands expropriated, the old nobility rallied their retainers and those peasants who either lacked sufficient class consciousness or were swayed by promises of continued domination over the elves and dwarves to side with their feudal masters, setting the stage for the brutal Salian Civil War. There was no peaceful rapprochement, no truth and reconciliation, merely vengeance igniting vengeance until the entire nation was bathed in blood. Recovering from such would be difficult even in times of peace, but the Union has no such luxury. The war has already arrived upon their doorstep, and a single misstep could well see all that the revolution sought to build stamped out beneath an Alfheiches jackboot.

Notable Strengths:
Even with a population decimated by internal conflict, Salia remains one of the most populated states in the world due in no small part to the shepherding hand of the snow elves. Though their magic has long faded, the advent of the Union Republic resulted in agricultural secrets long kept secret within their own domains finally shared with the human farmers of the plains, vastly increasing their production. This massive food supply, coupled with the underground wealth deposits that would remain inaccessible to most nations, serves as the basis for the state's plow and pick iconography, the two tools by which they believe they shall seize the future. With both food and mineral wealth secured, the Republic was able to focus not just on expanding its army, but also to ending the specter of starvation from even the poorest of its citizens.

National Priorities:
The Union has focused first and foremost upon improving the industrial production of their mountain cities, instilling patriotic zeal into the population, increasing the size of the army, and fulfilling the promises of the revolution by uplifting the common man. By contrast, the societal elite was either driven out (ironically, to Aelban) or executed, a large reactionary element still yearns for the restoration of the monarchy, the navy has been left to languish, and the state remains in many ways an international pariah due to their aforementioned treatment of the former societal elite.

• Dwarven Mountainhomes: Though the Dwarven Kings have long been dethroned, their great fortresses still remain. Vast cities dedicated to raw material processing and industrial production, they are the beating heart of the Union's war effort.
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