Kingdom of Kadrush
| Capital | Kushtut |
|---|---|
| Head of State | King Khar Kadrush |
| Government Type | Constitutional Monarchy |
| Cultures | ~10% Hasaapian, ~40% Dun Menti, ~40% Silnarian, ~5% Rulmi |
| Religions | ~10% Hasaapian (State), ~40% Qinism, ~40% Silnarian |
| Population Density | Moderate - High |
| Population | 10 million |
Sandwiched between three of the most dominant empires on the continent, Kadrush has managed to carve out a unique Kingdom. It's very unusual circumstances have produced a bastion of liberalism surrounded by deeply conservative states. The Kingdom must tread a political tightrope to ensure it's survival, lest it be gobbled up and it's territories recaptured by the powers it previously bested in battle.
History
The realm was founded in 1014 PS. Named in typical beastkin fashion with the dynastic name serving as the national name. The first king was an Anushken Warlord by the name of Biehtár Kadrush. A great beast of a canifor. He was said to have stood at 7ft tall and wielded a Silnarian-forged Greatsword named 'Fang'. As the strongest warlord south of Atshim, he openly challenged the Anushken dynasty and subdued any rival in the region. While the Anushken army was mobilising in Mipmi to deal with him, he pushed south into the disputed lands of Mentia and Silnaria, taking battle after battle with the depleted forces in the region. With Biehtár's conquest ranging as far as south mentia, it seemed possible that Mentia might have a beastkin Emperor sitting on the throne. His dreams were dashed at the battle Kynepace, where the pretender emperors united to defeat the beastkin army. Biehtár escaped with his life, but his army was totally annihilated.
After retreating back behind his established borders and fending off a half-hearted Mentian counter-attack, he found himself King of Kadrush in a state of relative peace. He proved to be a relatively poor ruler, aggravating the local populace, enforcing Canifors in administration across the Kingdom and replacing popular figureheads with unpopular beastkin ones. During his reign he faced multiple rebellions and insurrections. Whilst he was able to put them down militarily, he never could win over the hearts and minds. The stress of governing drove Biehtár into an early grave, dying after a string of heartattacks and a period of ill health.
His son, Khar, was only a 10 year old boy, with beastkin succession laws typically mean that a child cannot rule. Sensing an opportunity however, the Silnarian merchant barons pounced on the young King. He suddenly found himself with a loyal estate, a mercenary army and a chance to keep the nation together. The price was simple, the King had to sign away a truly staggering amount of power. The merchants pushed hard for a constitutional monarchy and an elected parliament, with both lower and upper houses. The King signed away the right to make war as he pleased, to raise taxes without the consent of parliament and guaranteed minority rights. The parliament, shortly after being founded and elected, immediately began to curtail the Canifor nobility's power and influence. As a result of having a strong parliament, Kadrush became somewhat of a haven for liberally minded Silnari and Mentians, who moved to the country to get away from their closed-minded countrymen. These migrants brought their wealth with them and created a strong intelligentsia. Unique to this region, the parliament used it's power to push for a full ban and abolition of slavery and the slave trade, making it an unusually progressive state.
By the year 1051 PS, with a fully grown King Khar, the state has flourished under his rule. Rather than lash against the estates as he came of age, he opted instead to accept their wisdom and council. Kadrush has been in a state of peace for 35 years. The King's Silnari diplomats have fostered strong relations with Salvania and Lymia, and spent the state's resources on strengthening the Kingdom's long borders.
Government
There are 3 elements to the state of Kadrush. The King, the Parliament and the Estates.
The King
Being a constitutional monarchy, the role of the King's power is much more restrained than in other states. Through the consent of Parliament he is able to collect a small amount taxes, which goes almost exclusively into the defence of the state, maintenance of the royal palace in Kushtut and diplomatic gestures. He is also expected to be the state's leader at war, leading troops into battle while the state continues to run without his presence. The King maintains a private army of Brayers known as the 'Rulmin Vakt', independent of parliament, circumventing previous restrictions based on a Canifor army raised during peacetime.
Parliament
The Parliament of Kadrush is the true political powerhouse of the state. It consists of two elected chambers, the lower and the upper house. Both houses are free to propose and pass legislation, with the King rubberstamping anything which makes it to him. The lower house (also jokingly called the poor house) is elected for a 5 year term with any citizen of the state being allowed to vote. The upper house is only elected by the landed and the rich, making it stacked with merchants, landowners and the nobility.
The Estates
There are 3 estates in Kadrush. The Canifors, the Silnari and the Menti. They are a large assembly which meets in Kushtut to speak to the King directly, bringing up issues of their community to him.
The Canifor estate have the lion's share of the land in the Kingdom, with most of them being the children of the previous King's Captains. Whilst being the smallest group, they have considerable autonomy and are in constant battle with the other estates to maintain their privileges. The Canifor estate is obligated to march to war alongside the King and to provide troops at the King's request.
The Silnari estate, the so-called second estate, are arguably the most powerful within the halls of government. They're represented by fabulously wealthy merchants, diplomats, barons, artisans and guild masters. The Silnari estate has serious political capital and often throw their weight around to get additional privileges. Their obligation is to make financial contributions and offer low-interest loans to the state in the case of an emergency, if Parliament declares such, which it never has.
The Menti-estate, the third estate, represents the peasants and labourers of the state. They enjoy a decent standard of living and through the lower-house have successfully pushed through legislation in their interest. They're not subject to serf-like conditions and are generally much more free than the peasants across the border in the Empire of Mentia. They are obligated to provide manpower at the request of parliament, for war or for public works.
Locations
Kushtut - Formerly an important city in the possession of the Mentian Empire, renamed with Hasaapian naming conventions. It is the administrative center of Kadrush and the most important city. The city has very unique architecture, being a blend of Silnarian and Mentian buildings, with a new Hasaapian style of architecture developing as an offshoot from both. The city's primary exports are textiles, which are usually hauled overland in huge merchant caravans and shipped down the river to Silnarian states.
Kadrush is divided into several different distinctive regions, including:
- The Southern Forest - Cotweald and Myneweald forests, which have been sparsely populated since history began, mostly by Mentian seeking to exploit the mineral resources of nearby mountains.
- Transpynania - Nested between Tihite and Pynann Mountains, these provinces center around the river valley of river Ebbe - and is hilly and forested on both side. Their population consists of a mixture of Silnarian and Mentian who settled here, Hasaapian presence is minimal. Both ethnicity exists in harmony with eachother. Transpynannia was a point of contention between the Silnarian and Mentian Empire when it was under their posession, but the average inhabitants doesn't care much who ruled them..
- Deorah Plateau / Rulminia. Defined by the Vetroviti and the Tihite mountains, this is the center of East Rulmi culture. It is somewhat sparsely populated, especially Upper Rulminia, while Lower Rulminia is much more densely popualted, giving rise to the largest city on the plateau - Belitsa, which have a population of 20,000 people - a marvelous number for the Rulmi. There are also Silnarian throughout the provinces. Most of the Rulmi here are Silnarinized or bilingual.
- Lannen & Kunikanma - These two provinces was once part of the Mentian / Silnarian cultural sphere of the Empire, but is now host to the majority of the Hasaapian population who migrated southeast and is the powerbase of the royal family as a result.
- Lower Dabrava Reach - the lower reach of Dabrava consists of the city of Rudava and Laukine - renamed to fit Hasaapian traditions, but at heart they are still Silnarian provinces settled by Silnarian who sailed upstream.
Misc info
Due to the blend of Hasaapian, Silnari and Menti, Kadrushi names can be quite varied. Danish/Norwegian/Swedish names are acceptable, as many Mentian and Canifors try to mix the two languages to appeal to the other.
Additionally, due to the mix of cultures and languages, a Pidgin language has formed. In Kadrush, anyone speaking either Mentian, Hasaapian or Silnarian can understand each other regardless of fluency (A Mentian with no knowledge of Silnarian can communicate with a Silnarian with no knowledge of Mentian. Characters from Kadrush have an innate advantage in communicating with any of these groups.)