Bliúanna

Bliúanna is a duchy of the Inner World, so named for the strange blue tint that seems to be characteristic of the waters of its many lakes. It was initially established by a group of Bunadh who did not end up settling in Ricuan, but made the mistake of not migrating particularly far north of the Blood Emperor. Eventually the Blood Emperor made an expansionistic campaign into their lands and they were set up as a sattelite nation. Their royal house was executed in very gruesome public fashion following the decision to surrendur, down to the last woman and child. After a half century of occupation, they managed to break away from the Blood Emperor's rule with a succession of bloody wars and rebellions, and razed the capital that The Imperiacht had established.

Foundation

The romantic legend of "the liberator king" (Bliúanna became a Grand Duchy some centuries after its foundation) has been spun out of all proportion and turned into a fanciful legend for the most part. He was apparently a giant of a man who wielded an axe so heavy it required two men to carry it to him. Interesting to note, his purported tomb and original throne are both rather small. Depending on which story you hear, he was raised by bears, wolves, a logger, Elves, enslaved by barbarians, and sometimes all of the above and then some in his twenty five years of life. He reputedly carried the blood of the last royal line in his veins, though that may be a matter of artistic liscence by generations of poets, and is quite irrelevant to his popularity as a ruler.

He is famous for the axe he wielded rather than the more typical swords used in the region, and as such, in Bliúanna axes of all kinds are seen as favoured weapons. Realistically, it was likely a bearded axe with a sharp fluke, but it has been portrayed in song and saga as a double headed monstrosity.

After establishing his capital Na Bliúanna (The Blue, as a way of emphasising national importance) in a quaint fishing village, it is well documented that he was the laughing stock of the Middle Kingdoms, and considered both unimportant and beyond notice of even the minor powers of his day. This may have had something to do with the fact that his other options for a capital were a pair of miner's towns and the full sweep of his lands could be traversed over two days in foot. Within a decade, his reputation had become substantially different. Both of his mining towns struck heavy deposits of iron, and the subsequent mass production of weaponry and armor saw Bliúanna fielding one of the best armed militaries of its time, though they were certainly not the best trained or most numerous. Combined with judicious use of mercenaries and rather clever employment of shock cavalry, his fledgling force managed to forge themselves a minor legend in local history, defeating both orcic raiders and bands of human raiders who became rife in the region following the Impireacht's defeat.

Regardless of what facets of his character are exagerrated, and what is simply false, the self styled Tinna un Ry ("King of Axes") had established the foundation of what was (and still is) a major political power of the region.

Foreign Relations

While not having a great deal of contact with Dwarves compared to the Northern kingdoms, they have no laws or particular cultural/societal bias against them. The main problem with communication with Dwarves is that they speak a language related to the tongue of the Impireacht, and very few of their citizens actually know either Sehlandic English or Ruendværg, thus only the most determined or knowledgable Dwarven merchants, mercenaries and travellers ever bother to head to the Bliúanna. Dwarven Craftsmen are highly sought out for their craft, however, and can make a handsome profit.

Orcs often use Na Bliúanna as a port of call (not a literal term, since the city is situated upon a lake), hiring out to mercenary companies or simply using the town as a stop when travelling. Tales of the eastern horde have reached Bliúanna, but few pay them enough credence to start outlawing an orcish presence, mostly because orcs are profitable and useful additions to the kingdom. The orcic travellers who generally make their way to Bliúanna are those seeking to establish trade with the middle kingdoms and steppelands, or those who have forsaken life there altogether and seek to live in the Inner World. The loyalty of orcic mercenaries is legendary in Bliúanna, and the Royal line keeps a household guard of one hundred and fifty orcs (divided into ten commands of fifteen), much as the Holy Roman Emperor, French King and Pope began hiring Swiss guards after a series of failed conquests.

Elves have an interesting place. While rarely living in humans lands, there is certainly a reasonably good lifestyle enjoyed by elves in the Bliúanna. They're not subject to anywhere near the same financial or legal bias as the Broken City, having the same rights under the law as humans, dwarves and orcs. The barrier between human and elven relations is not as severe in Bliúanna as it is in northern human nations, or even most southern ones. While the people who inhabit Bliúanna are no longer pure Bunadh either racially or culturally, they still bear the mark of that language and tradition.

Overall, Bliúanna is a very egalitarian and cosmpolitan grand duchy.

Military

While relatively successful, the Bliúannan military tend to lack the tactical acumen or aggression of more successful armies, largely due to the fact that they aren't a nation dedicated to either conquest or survival. War is, for the most part, trade related - there are few nations who have either the desire or power to threaten Bliúanna, save those desperate or avaricious enough to covet their natural resources.

In the main, their tactics depend heavily upon cavalry, especially when used for shock. Infantry (primarily levies) are used to keep the enemy pinned in position, and then the horsemen (generally nobility and vassals) are unleashed upon an exposed flank of the opposing force. Their archers, while respectable, are not particularly famous or sought after. The feudal system of fealty allows for vast levees of peasant soldiers to be conscripted for two months of service each year, though there really is no legal recourse if they're kept on for more. Professional armies as held by nobles (a bare fraction of the infantry, almost all of the cavalry) are mostly clad in chain hauberks and iron jacks, wielding shorter swords (designed for chopping) and spears. Serfs and peasants who become conscripted will be in anything from rags to padded armor to leathers. The axe is an esteemed weapon, though it is not a particularly common one.

Essentially, the Bliúannan are geographically in an area of hills and plains, most of the woodland having been cleared for farmland. Their strength as a nation is in self sufficiency - their wealth of raw materials means that trade is an entirely optional concept. Farming and fishing are boom industries, their orchards and vineyards being quite famous in particular. Health levels are exceptionally high in Bliúanna, disease is low, and life expectancy is among the best in the Inner World. This probably has a lot to do with the plentiful fresh water supplies in the country and the fact that despoiling a lake with wastes (corpses, sewage, even vegetable cuttings) is a crime punishable by anything from heavy fines to death. It is an antiquated point of law that is rarely invoked, but it is seen as unpatriotic at best (and sacreligious at worst) to pollute the lakes of Bliúanna.

While they haven't subjugated any nearby nations, their time as conquerors long past, they tend to keep very close relationships with smaller kingdoms. Bliúanna keeps rather tight relationships with smaller free states in order to take advantage of trade opportunities, particularly free states famous for their artisans and smiths.

Politics

Politically, they essentially have five major families (duchal lines) who are in position to compete for the throne. A dynastic change is about a once in a hundred years event, though it changes depending on circumstances. It's very, very rare for the politics to become Machiavellian or for assination to be used, rather, the duchal lines are content to go to war with each other. As one would imagine, the system of alliance between the five major houses forms the basis of their political powerplays, though on occasion a more minor house will make its presence known by changing sides at an opportune time... or an inopportune one.