Note that this is not the whole world - there are more states north and south, as well as beyond Rah. The date is 521.
The Drenni: On the whole, the natives of Dren are the most warlike of all the peoples of the Western Continent. Their state is an empire composed of numerous provinces, some of which were independent states before, and some bits of other countries. Dren's neighbors usually view the nation with some suspicion. As a result of the Naval Reform of 431, Dren has the most powerful fleet in the West - called the Gauntlet, as opposed to the army, which is the Sword. Dren competes with Rah for trading rights with the exotic southern lands (not shown on the map). Its relations with the Herstevat are extremely strained due to their recent (450) conquest of its southern regions, now called the Herstavi Province. The fact that trade was renewed at all is testament to the Herstavi belief in venture capitalism above all else.
The stereotypical Drenni noble is large, loud, and very proud of his or her military career. The favorite Drenni pastime is proving that Dren has won every war it has ever fought, even that one with the Abesheni that resulted in the loss of half the army, and singing loud, overly-patriotic military marches while drunk, in the bath, or both. There's no stereotype that describes Drenni commoners, but this I'll tell you: they're really
pissed.
The Rahu: The Rahu are ruled by a hereditary king, who is fairly usual as kings go. They are the most powerful nation on the Eastern continent, and control all trade with outsiders. They have a powerful fleet, obviously, and their own, original aviation industry, though they got the idea from the Rowani, pioneers of flying machines in general. They are famous for their impossible sense of humor, which hinges mostly on cultural references nobody else understands. They used to hold territories on the coast of Dren and the Herstevat, but that time is long past.
The stereotypical Rahu is tall, slender, brown-skinned, and really, really unshakable. The phrase Drenni high-society party types use is "delicious reserve". That is of course treason and sedition, but who gives a shit.
The Rowani: The Rowani government is more-or-less democratic, or at least multi-party. They used to have a minimum income required to vote, but it was abolished in 502. The Rowan State is the country with the newest government and the oldest history - they had a complex technical culture when the rest of the West's inhabitants were still painting their faces yellow and figuring out how to cast bronze. Of course, it suffered a collapse, but Rowani nationalism usually hinges on the fact that they ruled the entire continent once. The first hot-air balloon, as well as the first functional plane, were built by a single Rowani inventor, Lucern Gaine - the first feat when he was 23, and the second just fifteen years ago, when he was 81. By now, their air fleet is the most fearsome.
The stereotypical Rowani is freckled, red-haired, pretty, boisterous, and air-headed, or at least absent-minded. A common Drenni joke is that at their Parliament meetings are so long because they take half the time to remember why they've gathered, a quarter to recall what they were discussing, another eighth to remember who's the chairman, and the rest gets canceled because of the fistfight that starts when somebody asks which year it is. Most Drenni jokes begin "So a Rowani walks into..." and end with either sex or spontaneous violence.
The Herstavi: The Herstevat was a region of Rowan in antiquity, formerly the territory of a tribe called the Herest, used mostly for resettling criminals and exiling nobles, but rebelled and seceded in a time long past because its cultural composition had nothing in common with the rest of Rowan. This event marked the beginning of the latter's decline. Now the Herstavi are the most industrialized nation: every third item in the world is made in Herstav. Their government is effectively an oligarchy: everybody who has a huge wad of dosh and citizenship gets a say. Places in the Council are literally bought. The reasoning behind this practice is that the industry is Herstav's greatest glory, so obviously the leading figures of the industry should govern the country.
The stereotypical Herstavi is a stocky, auburn-haired git who spends most of his time card-sharping and telling tall tales about how his dad's a Council member, and gets giggling fits when somebody tells him there are things money can't buy, as well as uncontrollable bouts of rage in the presence of anything Drenni. A typical Herstavi joke usually insults the listener.
The Abesheni: The land of the Abesheni is a harsh, arid desert. They lead a nomadic life, and they have no government as such - just a series of alliances between tribes. The fact that they have not been conquered by Dren is a testament to their mastery of asymmetrical warfare and the surprising unity they show in disliking Dren more than they hate each other.
The stereotypical Abesheni is at once fiercely loyal to his friends and vilely dishonorable to his enemies. A typical Drenni belief is that in any dealing with an Abesheni nomad, one must get him to swear on his heart to prevent him from cheating you just because he can. Their accent is oft-imitated to mock somebody's savage outlook on life. "I keel yew, o scummy forrna" is a Drenni meme used to jokingly promise retribution.
The Wastes: Don't ask. Very, very bad taste. Probably even worse than yo momma jokes.
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Topic: Into Empty Skies - [1][6][Hilarity ensues] (Read 22276 times)