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[DontBanTheMan]

Can you explain a little bit more about the magic? If I want to do a magic-focused nation I need to know if Magic is a skill like any other (IE most people can get atleast some basic knowledge in magic" or if it is reserved for the lucky few?

Anyone can learn magic; it's extremely difficult (and dangerous) to learn, however, so not many people become mages. Basic spells could potentially be learned by the mob if a system of magic was devised that is easily learnable and usable, even by simpletons and/or people who don't have the time/money to become a mage. No such system has been invented yet.

Each system of magic is unique, and it's possible to create new types of magic, but all magic is fundamentally similar.  Need any additional information?

[Taricus]

Ruler Name: Risdra Kalen

Nation Name: Rakdar

Government: Feudal Monarchy, succession via elective council of nobles for the high king, primogeniture for most lower titles.

National Focus: Dominance (Unifying and controlling Etraxia by whatever means)

Important Laws:
-Slavery: While in it's most common form, it is illegal, the myriad contracts and laws essentially turn the vast majority of people into property of the various administrators and nobles by making them as part of the land (In administrative terms) rather than actually being able to leave it. While a minority live in the cities and towns, this minority is, outside of the merchants, bound to their settlement of birth
-Social Laws: For the Rakdaran elves, most laws are more or less equal (This is more due to the rough and tumble nature of Rakdaran politics to ensure that as many heirs are eligible for inheritance in case of... 'accidents'). The human commons, while in theory having these same rights, are mostly looked-down upon by their Rakdaran overlords, and abuses against them are not unheard of. Of these, only the most contentious and open offenders are ever sentenced, and only to placate the general populace about such actions.
-Immigration: Given the social practices within Rakdar, no such laws are necessary as no-one really immigrates.

National Religion: While practising a secular government, various sects, cults and other religions spring up from time to time within the various houses. The commons, however, have no such right and the Rakdar enforce atheistic doctrine on the general population.

Magic Control: 9, The Rakdar heavily control, and enforce this control, just about every source of magic and every caster they can get their hands on. Most of these are usually put to work as enchanters, producing magical items for their master's use. The few Rakdar mages are typically considered houseless and brought under the wing of the royal guard, serving as the shadowy, mysterious enforcers of the crown.

Military: 0% Light Infantry, 15% Medium Infantry, 30% Heavy Infantry, 50% Archers, 5% Cavalry, 0% Knights

Additional Info:

Between the typically backstabbing nobility, the half simmering anger of the human population and a less organised system of government one would think the Rakdaran military to be weaker than it is. For the Rakdar, it is a profession of glory and honour which brings the uncertain promise of power and riches which the lesser children of the houses leap upon. For most of the humans in it, it is a path to wealth and respect within the nation; Most houses are constantly jostling for glory and influence within the nation, and most tend to invest substantial amounts of resources into the training and equipment of their troops, the bands under the Rakdar houses garnering a reputation for an impressively flashy displays in uniform and drill. While this has meant that more bands dying from unnecessary last stands and other heroic actions, the tenacity of the warriors and their commanders along with the precision of their manoeuvres.

That, however, describes the fate of under half the soldiers. While the same precision drill is applied to every aspect of their military, the largest arm of the Rakdaran military is the archers. With a preference for massed missile fire to cut off a foes prize units

Background: A key feature of Rakdar and it's history is the presence of two species rather than the one. The ruling class, descended from some of the original elven inhabitants of Etraxia that had survived by hiding from the empire. Once the empire had crumbled, they returned, and whatever culture they had before being utterly forgotten by both them and the humans on the island. The initial surge of attacks proved to be the start of a rather 'golden' era for the Rakdar. (Though the humans under them would mostly say differently.) Drafting up more and more troops from each successive village, town and other settlement they conquered, it seemed inevitable that this wave of the past would return to a state of glory unheard of.

What stopped the Rakdar was themselves. As the Rakdar conquered more and more, they had more and more land and people that needed to be administrated and managed, and the losses sustained by the Rakdar themselves drawing their numbers out to far lower levels meant that internal strife was inevitable. The old council of yore fell apart, with rival retinues and warlords clashing with one another, leading to a period they called the blood crisis. Their numbers dwindling, the crisis was a sure sign of mutually assured doom for the Rakdar.

Until one warlord, whom only their last name of Kalen is known, united several smaller warlords under his banner, promising them control of some of the territory they had conquered in exchange for their loyalty and service. Warlord Kalen's army marched through what would be called Rakdar, assimilating or destroying any rival warlords that opposed them. The surviving warlords at the end of the crisis found themselves wealthier, whilst Kalen had unified the once disparate Rakdaran peoples into a single nation under their banner. The council of yore being reformed into a new iteration, consisting of the most powerful warlord-nobles with a single king, Kalen, in control of them.

This lead to the creation of the nation of Rakdar, the successors of the warlords taking their name, enshrining them as their right to rule over others and as a symbol of pride of their survival of the tumultuous times the empire had created for them.

Stance: Expansionistic

[Evil Marahadja]

Ruler Name: The White council, Mayard Carter.   (One representative from each major type of magic, and one additional member from the military and church, the leader of the church is the headmaster of the council.)
Nation Name: Narsis
Government: Officially it is a meritocracy, with the most powerful and wise mages leading the country. However, critics within the country often complain that there is far to much plotting and nepotism among the more powerful mages to be considered a Meritocracy.  You do have to be magical gifted to advance to the higher ranks in both the military and government.

National Focus: Magic

Important Laws:
Slavery is allowed but generally frowned upon. There are pockets of slaves working in the largest plantations, in mines and forests, these slaves mostly imported from other countries.

The penalties for physically hurting a Mage is severe. These persons are usually given a death-sentence. They are sent to the Magical academy to be experimented on until they die. Same harsh laws are applied to material theft. This laws tend to be a bit softer is the aggressor is a Mage.

Every citizen is obliged to take the "Magical tests" sometime between their 10 and 15th birthday. These tests is lead by experienced magicians and their goal is to locate gifted individuals so that they can be offered more in-depth education. These tests usually takes 2-3 mounts. It is a very new tradition, and the tests could be much safer and effective. But the council is always working to improve these tests as they are one of the foundations of the country. Every citizen is also offered to take a much longer more proper education in the magical arts. This education is three years long, and everyone can sign up. This education is even more experimental and the council only recommends citizens proven to be gifted  in magic to take the course, as the mortality of this education is quite high.

Immigration: Individuals who are magical gifted are awarded a unconditional citizenship no matter their former social status or past crimes. This has made Narsis quite popular for magicians. Because of this Narsis has faced some problems with murderous magicians roaming the streets, but the white council has found ways to use these assets...

National Religion: Church of Novis
God is our enemy, and magic is our weapon. Most citizens in Narsis is devoted to the Church of Novis. According to the Church of Novis the world was created by a single god, called Kaa. Kaa was a very controlling and demanding god, and he had a plan for his creation. Every man, animal and even plant had its own destiny, and no matter what the individual did, he was a subject to  Kaas will. This went on for hundreds of years, everything according to Kaas plan. Who could have predicted that a single woman were able to break free from this curse. No one really knows how, but for some reason Novis was able to tap into the power of the god, and she used this new-found power to openly challenge Kaa and his wicked control over the world.

The battle was fierce, but Novis managed to trap Kaa in another realm. The price for this was Novis own life, but before she died she granted her fellow humans with the weapon of the gods. Magic. Even if Kaa is trapped in another existence, he is still influencing most of humanity. Everyone has a destiny he or she is supposed to fulfil, and humans tend to be drawn towards their destiny no matter what they do. Thanks to Novis humans have a way to fight back, with the help of magic humans have the potential to break free from Kaas influence. Kaa is using his influence to find a way into our realm again, while the church of Novis is devoted to seal Kaa forever, with the help of magic.

Generally the church of Novis doesn't have preachers and prayers, instead they have lectures in magic and meditation. Every citizen is also requred to swear an oath in the honour of Novis that they will do their best to escape their destiny and instead do whatever it takes to keep Kaa trapped.

The church of Novis is intertwined with government in most ways, and people with another belief will have a very hard time advancing in the Narsis society, even though there has been examples of seculars in the government. People who are actively worshipping other gods will  experience active discrimination. Since they are believed to be the minions of Kaa. Crimes against such minorities tend to remain unsolved.

Magic Control: 0, magical use is even openly encouraged, but the best magicians tend to end up in the academy.
Military: 50% Light Infantry, 25% Archers, 10% Cavalry, 10% Heavy infantry, 5 %  mages. (Acting as officers and alone in special magical units. The officers are often skilled in telepathy and other buffing magic's, while the magical units are much more diverse.  )


Background: Narsis was the largest prison for mages on the Island. Even though the Empire of Mann often struck down against mages they also saw their potential. mages were sent to Narsis to work, research and serve the empire in a manner deemed safe. But due to the instability caused by the revolution the mages were able to kill their watchers and break free.  In the ruins of the prison they formed the Magicial academy of Novis in honour of the religion previliant in the region for many hundreds of years. 

Additional Info:
Narsis is a remarkable equal society regarding gender, much thanks to the Church of Novis, no one would be very surprised if a woman held a high position in either the government or military. Most of the important positions are still held by men, though.

Stance: Devious.

[Culise]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ruler: Empress Andria vej Ei-satra
Nation: Serica
Government: Empire

National Focus: Production

Important Laws:
Legal System: Operates under a unitary corpus of law (no separate civil/criminal system as seen in common law) originally promulgated by Empress Ranava vei Ei-Parna 500 years before the Empire came to Etraxia, and regularly updated since.  Criminal punishments tend to be harsh but levied evenly as far as social status is concerned; the power of the monarch stems in large part from non-hereditary magisters and bureaucrats, and nobility and slaves alike thus must face a magister without any sign of social status.  Fraud or social defamation is often punished by economic restitution, scaled to the perceived value lost to the victim.  Murder of physical injury, if conducted without remorse, is punished by visiting the same act on the culprit - one consequence of this, when coupled with the laws surrounding slaves, has been several cases in which slaveowners have been put to death for murdering their own slaves.  While intent is not considered in judging guilt, it is often considered in sentencing; though punishments cannot be commuted, crimes committed by accident tend to receive lesser punishments than those committed by negligence or willful malice.  Only the Emperor or Empress is granted the right to be above the law; whispers have been spoken of nobility who have sought to subvert the Empire's magisters, only to suffer some mischief after so drawing the ire of the Sword of the Empire.  This said, however, magisters do tend to show greater sympathy towards those others of similar status, in sympathy and understanding to those who must stand together. 

Slavery: Legal and permitted.  Primary sources of slavery are from external trade, as Serica only rarely wages active war, and debt-bondage.  Chattel slavery is considered hereditary; debt-bonded slavery is non-hereditary, though the inheritors of the debt may sell themselves into slavery as well.  Strict laws regulate the treatment of all slaves, including food, shelter, the right to marriage unconstrained by their owners' will, and the legally-protected right to purchase oneself in order to secure one's freedom, at a "fair" price as determined by a magister of the royal court.  Though not slavery in a strict sense, peonage is also a significant source of unskilled labour, in large part because many of the special laws that protect slaves do not protect freedmen, which has also created something of a perverse motivation for peons (legally freemen) to intentionally sell themselves into slavery for personal and economic security.

Immigration: Citizenship can be granted through good deeds conducive to the well-being of the Empire, either by the Empress or her viceroys.  Coincidentally, such "good deeds" can also include significant monetary donations to the Empire's coffers.

Social Hierarchy: The Empire of Serica operates under an unofficial, but in many respects powerful social hierarchy.  At the very top is the Emperor or Empress, and very close below their consort.  Below them resides the Empire's Court, those appointed and respected agents of the rulers, including magisters (judicial), viceroys (provincial administrators), and commissioners (granted special and potentially wide-ranging powers under a specific imperial commission), through which the Empire draws much of its central authority.  The hereditary aristocracy or nobility occupy positions of power below the Court.  Greatly weakened before the coming of the Empire of Mann, they were empowered after the conquest to weaken the Empress.  Waning quickly in influence after the breakdown of Mann, they nonetheless remain powerful as landowners.  Only barely below, and in many respects equal to the aristocracy rests the freemen citizens; merchants, burghers, traders, smiths, and the like.  Those scholars who do not enjoy royal patronage and appointment frequently also reside in these levels, and many of the freemen citizenry have grown in power to fill the positions left by the fall of the aristocracy.  Finally, there are the peons, and below them, the slaves. 

National Religion:
Religion is not a major principle in Serica.  Most native Sericans practice ancestor worship and animism, believing in the natural spirits of the world and the ordered spirits of their forebearers. Religion may be practiced freely by travelers and natives alike, so long as it is not considered seditious or ill-conducive to the proper order of society. 

Magic Control: 5
Significant state control and strictures exist, but unlike other centralized states like Dunik, the majority of spell-workers ply their arts independently of state observation or control (though not nearly as many as in Narsis, where absolutely no state oversight exists at all).  The greatest of spell-workers, however, are proud to attend to the Serican capital of Anthera, where they may gain official recognition, compensation, and potential for greater study.  Divination is one of the Great Works under Heaven, and diviners are frequently seen in the Imperial Court; the three great Paths of divination are aeromancy (the reading of the sky and winds to know the hopes of the future), necromancy (in the original sense of the word, the contacting of the spirits of deceased ancestors to understand the wisdom of the past), and water scrying (observation in water to know the facts of present).

Military: 0/20/40/30/10/0
The military of Serica is rooted not in cavalry, but in its strong infantry traditions.  Much of its cavalry is in the form of light skirmishers or jinettes who are frequently used to flank or run down routed foes, while a healthy mix of drilled medium and heavy infantry, backed by a strong archery force, forms the mainstay of Serica's military might.

Additional Information:
Serican industry is second to none.  The Serican hinterlands are rich in metals, and the skill of its crafters is reputed to be second to none.  Even this pales before the industry from which the nation took its name, for which it was known for millenia; silk-weaving.  Though a cottage industry in the sense of all industry in the pre-modern era, Serica is a wellspring from which finished goods spring. 

Background:
The "land of silk", Serica has long been famed for its textiles and agriculture.  Historically one of the ancient great empires that dominated the island, Serica was badly crippled during the time of the Empire of Mann due to its leading role in opposition.  In spite of inflicting enough casualties to force the Empire of Mann to permit a semblance of autonomy and preserve the Emperors of Serica (though referred to as only Kings), the Empire of Mann still continued to attempt to undermine Serica in order to secure it once and for all.  Over the centuries of domination, the old structures of state were dismantled as much as possible, while the hereditary landowners were empowered at the expense of the local rulers.  The autonomy of Serica also permitted some degree of economic freedom, and the industry of its people became famed through the empire as traders brought its goods to the mainland, and even to the (false) Emperor himself, who it is said demanded regular tribute of the finest Serican silk in return for its rulers' privileges. 

When the Emperor of Mann crossed the last great barrier to the unknown, the ruler of Serica again seized the title of Empress.  A young and dynamic ruler, she has largely crushed the new aristocracy (insofar as "new" can be used for institutions created over a period of centuries of rule; its use domestically illustrates much about how Serica sees time and tradition) to restore the traditional Imperial Court, in part by the passage of laws favoring the freemen citizens who formed an independent power base and the slaves from which the aristocracy drew its power.  Gold, copper, tin, and bronze have now joined silk as Serican metalwrights and smiths prove themselves the equal of its weavers and spinners. 

Stance: Phlegmatic

Oh, one thing that struck me as a bit odd.  It's the Bronze Age, so it's at least seven centuries before the stirrup, or five centuries before any sort of proper saddle (much less canted saddles).  How are people using spears and lances from horseback without something to keep them from getting knocked right off their horse, and where are the chariots?  Even most horses during this era would have been too small to carry a man in anything more than light armor; that took centuries of systemic breeding to create the destriers or coursers we think of when we hear the word, "knight."  It seems more than a little odd to me. 

[DontBanTheMan]

Oh, one thing that struck me as a bit odd.  It's the Bronze Age, so it's at least seven centuries before the stirrup, or five centuries before any sort of proper saddle (much less canted saddles).  How are people using spears and lances from horseback without something to keep them from getting knocked right off their horse, and where are the chariots?  Even most horses during this era would have been too small to carry a man in anything more than light armor; that took centuries of systemic breeding to create the destriers or coursers we think of when we hear the word, "knight."  It seems more than a little odd to me.

Mmmm, good point. I'll downgrade all knights to cavalry until technology reaches that point.

Actually, on second thought, I'll add chariots and replace knights with them.

[Assassinator1000]

Ruler Name: Noq

Nation Name: Zeodia

Government: Republic

National Focus: Espionage

Important Laws: There is only two laws, "Stealing from the Government" and Murder. Anyone caught commiting or assisting in one of these acts will be punished by an eternal sentence in "Hell." A prison built into abandon mine tunnels that filled with a toxic gas as red as the devil himself. If someone inhales this gas their mind starts to deteriorate and causes mass amounts of hallucinations. Thus creating an endless pit of souls screaming for a grasp on reality.

National Religion: No

Magic Control: (1) While its despised upon, people have full right to take up the art.

Military: 10% Archers, 20% Light Infantry, and 70% Medium Infantry.

Additional Info: Zeodia is filled to the brim with the greatest Theives, Spies, and Assassins to have ever existed thanks to the remaining gift from their ancestry.

Background: The Zeos, a beautiful and unique type of creature with the ability to adapt to any attributes they found on a creature they saw in a days time. Often traveling in packs of ten, these creatures would roam the wild forming bonds with every lifeform they met. However Mann started to take notice of these beasts and started hunting them for sport. This continued for a few generations untill there was only one pack left. To avoid being hunted any longer they adapted to a full Mann form and lived among them. However, taking on this full form damaged their gift and they had to remain looking like them forever. Left only with the small advantage of being able to morph their face, they set off for the island of Etraxia where they would create a new colony and prevent extinction.

Stance: Neutral

[Knave]

Important Laws: There is only two laws, "Stealing from the Government" and Murder. Anyone caught commiting or assisting in one of these acts will be punished by an eternal sentence in "Hell." A prison built into abandon mine tunnels that filled with a toxic gas as red as the devil himself. If someone inhales this gas their mind starts to deteriorate and causes mass amounts of hallucinations. Thus creating an endless pit of souls screaming for a grasp on reality.

  This sounds like a horrible place to live. Reminds me of the adventure time episode "City of Thieves"
http://youtu.be/7hGCglEzs8k?t=3m35s

[Taricus]

Which islikely a good thing actually. Mostly because I'm no longer target #1

[InstantHax]

(Apparently this is completely wrong and needs fixing......you can still read this but I will be changing this. Well I guess that's 1 hour wasted uhhh >.<.)

Hax's Faction :3

(Beware, this is a very long post and I spent over a hour doing this).

Rulers Name: Boduognatus
Nation Name: Battranian Confederation
Government: One leader with 8 elders in each village that gives advice.
National Focus: Independence

Important Laws:

Slaves- Legal and encouraged by the Battranians. Any captive from war that is not either killed or ransomed for gold is taken into custody and turned into a slave. Loyal  and able slaves are treated fairly however, and many slaves life to a old age and some even gain their freedom by proving their worth. Most slaves work on farms or in the depths of caves searching and mining for precious minerals.]

Prostitution- Allowed but have many laws that restrict and discourage the practice of Prostitution. The Battranians believe that sexual desires will lead to a warrior becoming weak inside and a farmer abandoning his fields.

Justice- All accused people are judged in a court where 8 old wise elders of the village determine the fate of the accused. However, the leader of the tribe often have the final saying of the decision of the trial. Punishment includes, a fee, slavery, exile and death.

Immigration- Traveling is allowed by the Battranians as they often trade with other nations for supplies like salt and other exotic spices. However, not a lot of Battranians will leave their nations for an another due to the that most people are usually happy with how the Battrainans leaders govern the village.

National Religion: The religion of the Battranians closely resembles the ancient Celtic and Germanic tribes. Some scholars even believe that the Battranians were the first people who made the very religion that the Celtic people worshiped. There are many gods in the Battranian religion and all of them have at least some ties or relations with nature.

Magic control: 7

Magic is only allowed to the shamans in each village and the military itself. Normal citizens are not allowed to practice magic unless they have a specific reason to why they should. If a peasant was caught of practicing magic without permission, the peasant would mostly likely be sold into slavery or even executed in public.
Military: The Battranians are a powerful military force. The Battranians have both a very capable army and navy. All men over the age of 18 is expected to be trained in basic combat and ready to fight at a second’s notice.

Army Composition:

Light infantry(Raiding Infantry)- 15%

The Battranians possess a very strong force of light raiding soldiers that can move fast and strike hard.

Medium infantry(Melee Infantry)- 35%

The Battranians possess a very sturdy and offensive medium infantry force. The morale of the Battranians is very high and this makes the Battranians rarely rout in battle, even when facing extreme odds.

Spear Infantry(Medium/Heavy Spearmen)- 10%

The Battranians possess good spearmen selection and can fend of cav relatively easily. However, they do lack elite spears and this could propose a problem if they fight against elite cavalry like Knights.


Heavy infantry(Shock Infantry)- 5%

The Battranians have some of the finest heavy shock infantry in all of Etraxia. One notable unit that the Battranians possess is the feared ***Battranian Bloodsworns***.

“Covered in the finest armor and trained since the age of 5, the Battranian Bloodsworns were bred for war.” -Unit description

Skirmishers(Slingers/Archers/Javelinmen)- 15%

The Battranians are lacking in the scrimising compartment, as they only have access to cheap javelinmen and archers.



Cavalry(Light raiding cav)- 10%

The Battranians have excellent light cav that can be both a distraction for the enemy or a deadly flanking force.

Cavalry(Heavy melee cav)- 5%

The Battranians have some very capable heavy cav but their numbers are limited and they are lacking in performance compared to other faction’s heavy cav. However, they can come in handy against medium infantry and cav.

***Chariots***- 5%

While the Battranians weren’t the first ones to discover chariots, they have learned from their frequent wars with other nations and they have adopted the ways of the chariot in their armies.

Additional info- The Battranians’ economy mostly focuses on agriculture and they have a constant source of food. The Battranians also trade with other neighboring tribes and they mainly export food, lumber and mercenaries for warring nations.

History- The Battranians were originally a client state of the Extraxia Empire. The Battrains resented their master’s rule and the people often rebelled against their masters. However, the rebellions were no match to the might of the Extraxia Empire and the Battranians villages were razed to the ground and their artifacts stolen by the Extraxians. Since this day, the Battranians been waiting for an opportunity to fight back and regain their lost homeland. Boduognatus, the son of a Battranian general sees an opportunity to restore the might of the Battranians as the power of the Extraxia Empire wanes and weakens. Boduognatus prepares his men for war and he will restore the power of the Battranian Confederation! (Intense Music )

Stance: Determined

Wow you read all of that? Cookies for you :3



 

[Rolepgeek]

DAMNIT I WANTED TO JOIN

ARGHHH

BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME LAST NIGHT AND ALL THE SHEETS ARE TOO GOOD

FUUUUUUUUUUUU-

[Taricus]

Not all the sheets are RP. There's hope yet

[Rolepgeek]

Not all the sheets are RP. There's hope yet

Yeah I hadn't seen Assassinator's yet...

[Rolepgeek]

Ruler Name: Madrea Assere Bedios
Nation Name: Istania
Government: Theocracy; the church makes the decisions for the good of her people. While not a democracy, per se, input onto the perceived best action is often asked for, though as church policy dictates many decisions, and almost all Istanians are faithful members of the church, there is rarely conflict.
National Focus: Religion

Important Laws:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Slavery - Enslavement of humans is illegal. Non-humans have remarkably fewer rights, and might make pets for those of low moral standing but high economic clout in society.
Social Laws - A matriarchy, thanks to church doctrine and means of selecting church leaders, though both genders serve in the military, if not quite equally(men are expected to defend their country, after all, women, not as much). However, social equality is markedly advanced thanks to the church, even if only for humans (for example: homosexuality is accepted, if not always preferred...at least for women(and kinda ignored by the law for men)). In fact, around 54-55% of Istanians are female, thanks to immigration.
Prostitution - A very touchy issue. Technically only legal by sanctioned and selected Church Members, as a means of cleansing the sinful, or giving comfort to those in need(yes shut up they really think this way). However, like everywhere else, it is practiced, though the trade in it is somewhat reduced by the legal (and highly skilled; they aren't whores, they're Courtesans) outlet in the Church.
Civil Law - Civil courts and religious courts are one and the same - the Mother's Church serves as the basis for most, laws, after all. Certain important laws include: The various holidays, every ninth day being regarded as holy, openly carrying a weapon in the streets is banned unless you have very special permits, desecration of holy sites is forbidden by penalty of heinous and terrible death(typically inflicted in front of a cheering crowd), trying to convert the Mother's Church to other religions is banned(on penalty of explaining yourself, getting fined, and maybe booted out of the country), and so on.
Criminal Law - Criminal courts are typically different from civil courts, but they too are religiously run. Non-members of the church must still comply with certain church laws, primarily those ones not relating to ceremony or worship(which are less laws and more 'hey you should be doing this if you're faithful'), and heretics can be tried for defying church doctrine without sufficient reason, though this is usually only done if they seem to be trying to incite people to break away or leave the Church.
Immigration - An instance of practicality and idealism matching up, the nation knows how much it relies on immigration, and this is reflected in how incredibly lax it's immigration laws are, in most cases. An oath of loyalty to the church and initiation to the faith is all that's required for those that are willing, in order to become a citizen and gain the various rights and benefits that come along with it. Non-citizens are permitted to stay, but have fewer rights and an eye will be kept on them to make sure they stay out of trouble. Being born in the country almost ensures citizenship...and membership in the church, due to the great influence of the religion in people's lives.
Public Education - Quite possibly the only place in Etraxia to offer it. The church is the one doing the teaching, of course. Which makes up the half of the reason beyond an educated populace making better decisions for offering such a system.

National Religion:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 Yes, The Mother's Church. As it is a theocracy, government and church are one and the same. The Mother's Church focuses on, well, The Mother Goddess, in all her guises, as she gave her life, in the end, to create the human race, even if she did not at first intend to sacrifice herself to do so. As she died by giving up pieces of herself as gifts so that we might live and breathe and think and create, so we each carry some of Her inside of us, and together, we make up The Mother. Part of the religion involves recognizing the Mother in her various forms, as she continues to try and give us guidance in our lives, to direct us towards the happiness she intended us to have with her. Giving thanks for and acknowledging her sacrifice, as well as dedicating oneself to ensuring that it does not go in vain by making the most of one's life are all integral parts of the faith. Other titles and forms the Mother appears in include the Maiden(embodying the youthful and innocent aspects of the Goddess), the Crone(emphasizing the wisdom and experience of the Goddess), the Child (in which the Goddess is genderless, and is meant to represent the remarkable insight of children, and the beautiful simplicity of their world, free from the politics of adulthood), the Lover(the sensuous and intimate parts of the Goddess), and the Warrior(in which the Goddess is portrayed as masculine; the Church prefers to gloss over this one most of the time...). The Mother itself is simply the title for the Goddess that the Church prefers, as it shows her in her nurturing, hard-working, and life-giving ways).
Mother's Church Creation Myth(s): Once, long ago, in the far distant past, the world had much. It was filled with life, in the oceans and the forests and the plains. The spirits, both kind and cruel, were free to do as they wished, for they walked within the wilds as their natural birthplace. The Goddess loved the world and all it held, yet...She was alone. There was none other like her save the spirits, and they only slightly. So She took her hair, and She fashioned it into a shape like Herself, and cut Her hair between them, whispering "I gift this of mine, to you forever, my love." The form was only a doll, though, and did nothing, and the Goddess was still alone. So She cut her finger, and let Herself bleed the substance of life into the doll, whispering "I gift this of mine, to you forever, my love." And the doll took shape, becoming alive, and the Goddess called it 'Woman'. But it did little more than any beast, and even then only with aid. And so the Goddess gave the gift of knowledge and mind to Woman, whispering "I gift this, which can never be mine alone, to you forever, my love." And Woman thought, and felt, yet could not speak her thoughts and feelings to the Goddess...[blah blah other gifts blah]...the Goddess granted her companion the gift of creation and life, whispering again the words of giving. But the power of life is too much for any one human to have, and Woman could not contain it all. So the Goddess made for the two of them a third, which She called 'Man', to hold some part of the gift of life until woman called for it again. She gave Man his own body, and his own shape, so that the two could always find each other. She made him to be Woman's protector and guardian against the cruelty of the world, and the Goddess made Man to be Woman's companion and friend; for the Goddess could not live forever in this form, and She knew it...[other story telling, room for various tales, blah blah blah]...and as the dark spirits closed around them, Man and Woman and Child, the Goddess, feeble and ailing as she was after having given so much, spoke one final time. "I gift this of mine, to you forever, my loves." And the Goddess faded into nothing, as a new light took the sky, sending away the evil spirits. That light was called the Moon, and Woman's body cries at it's waning ever since, in memory of her sacrifice, even if the mind does not recognize it.

Magic Control: 4-8

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Istanian relationship with magic is a strange one, and seems to vary from town to town, even. The nation is still working out how it will interact with magic in the future, but it seems likely that it will depend on the nature of the magic worked; some magic is banned entirely, while other magic is almost considered a necessity for day-to-day life and worship. Mostly, though, it is the clergy that practices magic, proclaiming them to be miracles granted by the Mother Goddess through all humanity. They claim that the use of magic without due deference to Her is abuse and heresy, for all magic is a gift of the Goddess, and it's use is Her sacrifice once more. To use it without showing Her gratitude and acknowledgement is to cause Her both injury and insult.

Military:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 25% Light Infantry - Though not a particularly warlike nation or peoples, the Istanians' religious fervor leads to an overabundance of volunteers - there's simply not enough equipment for all of them.
15% Medium Infantry - The majority of Istanian professional soldiers are more like militia readying to defend their homes.
5% Heavy Infantry - The fanatacism of some Istanians leads them to take the oaths of the Templars, an order dedicated to protecting pilgrims and defending the faith;
20% Archers - Istanian slingers are often highly skilled, and there is as much to fear from a high speed metal bullet flying towards your head as there is from a sharpened arrow shaft plunging towards your chest.
25% Cavalry - Quality horses and a tradition of horseback riding make the Istanians uniquely well suited to developing large forces of horsemen. There is rumor some even make use of the bow....
10% Chariots - The abundance of fertile flatland, and the well-developed infrastructure of the region, lends itself well to the use of chariots and chariot archers.

Additional Info:

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Istania is a nation of fields, forests, cities, and roads. A combination of well-developed surviving infrastructure, supremely fertile lands, and religiously backed work ethic, as well as the social equality and relatively light policies regarding restrictions of freedoms (for church members, anyway), combine with the high conversion rate of The Mother's Church(and the whole women not being second-class members of society) to make Istania one of the fastest growing nations in history, in terms of population growth, from both immigration and natural fertility. The land also stands as one of the largest on Etraxia in terms of population, if not the largest, thanks to this, and the nature of it's birth. Istania is also the source for most of Etraxia's quality horses, horse-breeding being a longstanding and honourable tradition, and for a great deal of food, which makes up it's primary export, along with missionaries, quality lumber, and certain luxuries such as dye, spice, or furs. (Secondary Focus: Agriculture/Population. Tertiary Focus: Horses/Infrastructure)

Background:

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The Mother's Church is one of the oldest religions on Etraxia, though going by other names over the years. Before the Empire of Mann came to dominate Etraxia, it was the dominant religion on the island; it was believed to have spread through the Empire to the rest of the world as well. Surviving the Empire's rule despite persecution, as the Empire of Mann collapsed, it experienced a blossoming resurgence of the faith as age-old followers once more came out into the open. Flocking to the spiritual leader of the church, the Madrea Cirre Guivere, the faithful formed a new country out of the ruins of the Empire's old ruling center - as well as the Holy Lands of the Mother's Faith. Managing to keep looting and decay to a minimum by the order and unity provided by a common faith, and especially their reverence for the Mother Goddess and Her Lands, allowed much of the old structure built by the Empire to survive. Since that time, the Holy Land has only grown, order attracting refugees in the chaos of the Empire's collapse quickly and easily.

Stance: Considerate

[Rolepgeek]

Oh, one thing that struck me as a bit odd.  It's the Bronze Age, so it's at least seven centuries before the stirrup, or five centuries before any sort of proper saddle (much less canted saddles).  How are people using spears and lances from horseback without something to keep them from getting knocked right off their horse, and where are the chariots?  Even most horses during this era would have been too small to carry a man in anything more than light armor; that took centuries of systemic breeding to create the destriers or coursers we think of when we hear the word, "knight."  It seems more than a little odd to me.

Weren't the Greeks Bronze Age? Alexander the Great of Macedon had his Companion Cavalry. They were heavy cavalry.

[Taricus]

They weren't equivalent to medieval knights in tactics and equipment though, which is a big difference.