Post by Spus on Jun 16, 2007 19:27:29 GMT -5
The Federation of Kasios
The mercantile capital of Orenero. For the first three millenia of it's existance, it was under the power of the throne of Aridia. But on May 30th, 6320, backed by a massive force of mercenaries, they announced thier sucession along with all cities to the south of them, to form thier own nation free of, in thier own words, the tyrannical rule of then king, Morris IV. Then, in thier own words, they scared Morris IV's tyrant forces into submission, freeing them and allowing them to declare thier independence from Aridia bloodlessly. They celebrate this total victory each year on May 30th, Tyrant's Defeat Day.
In reality, the merchants of Kasios violated Aridia's neutrality clause with Jal'Nareth & Uzinia, by selling Uzinia mercenaries and weapons. When Morris IV heard about this black market weapon's dealing, he began to bring down his fist on the Kasian Merchants. But the Merchants turned around and turned thier mercenary armies on Morris's official army. Morris, not wanting to embroil the country in a violent civil war, where hundreds of thousands of his own citizens would die horrible violent deaths, conceded, and allowed the Kasian Merchants to sucede. The Tyrant's Defeat Legend is only to have another holiday to increase sales.
Aridia had ratted them out to Jal'Nareth though, although maintaining thier neutral position in the ongoing conflict. They had an prolonged naval war with them for a time, eventually defeating them because Jal'Nareth withdrawing, unable to battle both Kasios and Uzinia at the same time. In classic Kasian fashion, August 23rd had become known as "Repelling The Barbaric Conquerers Day" despite no declared intentions of Conquest by King Harvey at that time. Nonetheless, There is usually a massive countrywide sale on that day as well.
Over the past 72 years, Kasios has continued to thrive as a monument of free trade in Orenero. Merchants from all over the region travel to start new lives there, not only as merchants, but as mercenaries. As a true testament to the power of money, Kasian Mercenaries are said to be the strongest fighting force on the continent, each getting expert training, and with rigid quality control of thier work- it is said if a Kasian Mercenary doesn't deliver on the job he is paid to do, it is likely he'll give a refund with his life. They don't just service Kasian interests either- they've been known to take offers from other countries too, even with hits on other Nation's leaders, as Daniel Lind, one of the last counselors of the then Magocratic Uzinia had found out first hand. The Kasian Goverment manages to keep it's hands clean, claiming such acts are those of independant contractors, and not of the Kasian Government. This has kept the other nations from banding together and basically grabbing Kasios by the shoulders and collectively shouting at them to quit sabatoging them.
Physically, Kasians are lighter skinned people, although with a natural tan from constant exposure to the desert sun. From the same stock as all of the Ruagnosian Descendants, Kasian's similarities with the rest of the Orenorans ends there. Kasians value street smarts over book smarts to a ridicolous degree- it's not uncommon for a child in Kasios to recieve no formal education whatsoever- no public schooling is offered, although most Kasian people are literate- not knowing how to read and write is just asking to have a target put on your back in this unforgiving town. The Kasian people have a jaded view of the world, and will only look out for themselves, or if they're feeling especially generous, thier families. Arranged Marriages are the norm in Kasios, as Merchants use thier offspring as chips in a pile for a power struggle. Romantic love isn't unheard of, but it's rare, but it doesn't stop it from being a hot seller in Kasian Fiction.
Kasians tend to view the other nations with contempt. They feel they are number one, and the other countries are simply subservient, and needing of them and thier goods, for whatever reasons. They view Aridia in particually as a completely backward nation- a dinosaur. Morbirgan is viewed in a similiar light, but slowly gaining favor as the gnomes in Morbirgan keep coming up with new technicalogical gadgets to market to the world- and Kasian doesn't want to be left behind. The Elves of Feyan also are viewed in a bad light, with thier complete and utter refusal to do business with Kasios. Not that it's undeserved- Feyan returns thier haughtiness, remembering the scars of Kasian misdeeds in the past- namely attempting to attempt a landstrike by passing through thier territory during the Jal'Nareth Conflict. Jal'Nareth itself is on neutral ground with Kasians, forgiving past misdeeds, but not seeking any strong relation with the merchant nation. Of all it's neighbors, it has the strongest bond with Uzinia, the former magocratic nation holding it as a great ally, and Kasios doing the same. But with it's regime change, it's new powers that be has seemed to favor it's relationship with Aridia instead of Kasios, a backwards move by Kasian logic.
Religiously, Kasians don't hold any prejudice, as prejudice gets in the way of sales. Many Kasians still follow the traditional diety of Aridia, St. Cuthbert, favoring his teaching of order and keeping things in check, and enjoying a strong arm of the law to keep thier businesses going. But to say Cuthbert was dominant would be a lie. Many also favor the ways of Hextor, believing his view of war and conquest is what Kasios needs, becoming the biggest politcal power in Orenero on top of the biggest financial one. Others still favor Olimaddara, but keep thier meetings out of sight of the powers that be- thieves, and other people who leech off of society, not caring for he Kasian idea of an hoenst living- which honestly isn't that honest.
Kasios City
Easily the largest city in the Oreneroan region, it is the crown jewel and capital of the Kasian Nation. It is said if you can't find it in Kasios, you can't find it anywhere, and it's pretty much true. Merchants from all over travel to Kasios to participate in the region's largest marketplace, which is true in population, land size it covers, and gold traded. No matter how meaningless or trivial, or how dangerous and destructive, if you can't find it here, you can't find it anywhere.
Kasios City is arguably older than Aridia itself. It was said that the base of the city was founded around an Oasis by the first settlers to go into the desert. The legend also goes that the first settlers were also crafty, realizing that self-suffiency just wasn't going to happen in the desert, they took to making whatever they could out where they were, and traveling to the more well off areas to the west- selling them things they didn't really need, but being good enough salesmen that they bought them anyway. Soon, the people of the west came so hooked on these trinkets and items the Kasians produced, that the Kasians no longer had to come to them, but they went to the Kasians. Therefore, Kasios city's legacy as Orenero's Market had begun.
Kasios was initially given the same treatment as all Aridian cities- they had a town wall to protect them from roaming tribes of maurading orcs and goblins- but the Kasians ignored the wall as soon as it's constructions was completed. City Walls impede growth. And more growth means more money. The walled area of the city, deep within it's heart, is ussually referred to as "Old Kasios". In the modern era, all it contains is the Meeting House where all the merchant guilds meet to discuss Kasios's situation as a political power, as well as the original oasis that the city was originally built around. The oasis's need has long since been discarded, as most of the city lives on well water nowadays.
Kasios City design is also unique in the fact that there is really no differentation between commerical and residential districts of the cities. The merchants want to live close to their shops- it's not uncommon for a merchant with only enough money to start up to use his counter as a bed for quite some time. And the residents don't want to track a massive city to do thier day to day business of course. Unless, of course, you're already a made man. The powerful families of Kasios, the Raloses, The Leczers, the Kortons, the Bloods, among other families, have thier huge stately manors ussually built right into the city. If you were born in the center of the city with poor parents, the only tree you might ever see will be out of reach, in the yard of a cutthroat business man.
The only other building of note among the city is the massive mercenary fortress found outside of Old Kasios. Outside Samanios, this holds the largest amount of on duty merc forces you could find. With Orenero's largest marketplace, you also have Orenero's largest collection of thieves. Stolen merchandise provides Kasios with a massive criminal underworld, one which the mercenary forces try to flush out daily- or at least until they cough up a big enough bribe to make them forget what they saw.
The mercantile capital of Orenero. For the first three millenia of it's existance, it was under the power of the throne of Aridia. But on May 30th, 6320, backed by a massive force of mercenaries, they announced thier sucession along with all cities to the south of them, to form thier own nation free of, in thier own words, the tyrannical rule of then king, Morris IV. Then, in thier own words, they scared Morris IV's tyrant forces into submission, freeing them and allowing them to declare thier independence from Aridia bloodlessly. They celebrate this total victory each year on May 30th, Tyrant's Defeat Day.
In reality, the merchants of Kasios violated Aridia's neutrality clause with Jal'Nareth & Uzinia, by selling Uzinia mercenaries and weapons. When Morris IV heard about this black market weapon's dealing, he began to bring down his fist on the Kasian Merchants. But the Merchants turned around and turned thier mercenary armies on Morris's official army. Morris, not wanting to embroil the country in a violent civil war, where hundreds of thousands of his own citizens would die horrible violent deaths, conceded, and allowed the Kasian Merchants to sucede. The Tyrant's Defeat Legend is only to have another holiday to increase sales.
Aridia had ratted them out to Jal'Nareth though, although maintaining thier neutral position in the ongoing conflict. They had an prolonged naval war with them for a time, eventually defeating them because Jal'Nareth withdrawing, unable to battle both Kasios and Uzinia at the same time. In classic Kasian fashion, August 23rd had become known as "Repelling The Barbaric Conquerers Day" despite no declared intentions of Conquest by King Harvey at that time. Nonetheless, There is usually a massive countrywide sale on that day as well.
Over the past 72 years, Kasios has continued to thrive as a monument of free trade in Orenero. Merchants from all over the region travel to start new lives there, not only as merchants, but as mercenaries. As a true testament to the power of money, Kasian Mercenaries are said to be the strongest fighting force on the continent, each getting expert training, and with rigid quality control of thier work- it is said if a Kasian Mercenary doesn't deliver on the job he is paid to do, it is likely he'll give a refund with his life. They don't just service Kasian interests either- they've been known to take offers from other countries too, even with hits on other Nation's leaders, as Daniel Lind, one of the last counselors of the then Magocratic Uzinia had found out first hand. The Kasian Goverment manages to keep it's hands clean, claiming such acts are those of independant contractors, and not of the Kasian Government. This has kept the other nations from banding together and basically grabbing Kasios by the shoulders and collectively shouting at them to quit sabatoging them.
Physically, Kasians are lighter skinned people, although with a natural tan from constant exposure to the desert sun. From the same stock as all of the Ruagnosian Descendants, Kasian's similarities with the rest of the Orenorans ends there. Kasians value street smarts over book smarts to a ridicolous degree- it's not uncommon for a child in Kasios to recieve no formal education whatsoever- no public schooling is offered, although most Kasian people are literate- not knowing how to read and write is just asking to have a target put on your back in this unforgiving town. The Kasian people have a jaded view of the world, and will only look out for themselves, or if they're feeling especially generous, thier families. Arranged Marriages are the norm in Kasios, as Merchants use thier offspring as chips in a pile for a power struggle. Romantic love isn't unheard of, but it's rare, but it doesn't stop it from being a hot seller in Kasian Fiction.
Kasians tend to view the other nations with contempt. They feel they are number one, and the other countries are simply subservient, and needing of them and thier goods, for whatever reasons. They view Aridia in particually as a completely backward nation- a dinosaur. Morbirgan is viewed in a similiar light, but slowly gaining favor as the gnomes in Morbirgan keep coming up with new technicalogical gadgets to market to the world- and Kasian doesn't want to be left behind. The Elves of Feyan also are viewed in a bad light, with thier complete and utter refusal to do business with Kasios. Not that it's undeserved- Feyan returns thier haughtiness, remembering the scars of Kasian misdeeds in the past- namely attempting to attempt a landstrike by passing through thier territory during the Jal'Nareth Conflict. Jal'Nareth itself is on neutral ground with Kasians, forgiving past misdeeds, but not seeking any strong relation with the merchant nation. Of all it's neighbors, it has the strongest bond with Uzinia, the former magocratic nation holding it as a great ally, and Kasios doing the same. But with it's regime change, it's new powers that be has seemed to favor it's relationship with Aridia instead of Kasios, a backwards move by Kasian logic.
Religiously, Kasians don't hold any prejudice, as prejudice gets in the way of sales. Many Kasians still follow the traditional diety of Aridia, St. Cuthbert, favoring his teaching of order and keeping things in check, and enjoying a strong arm of the law to keep thier businesses going. But to say Cuthbert was dominant would be a lie. Many also favor the ways of Hextor, believing his view of war and conquest is what Kasios needs, becoming the biggest politcal power in Orenero on top of the biggest financial one. Others still favor Olimaddara, but keep thier meetings out of sight of the powers that be- thieves, and other people who leech off of society, not caring for he Kasian idea of an hoenst living- which honestly isn't that honest.
Kasios City
Easily the largest city in the Oreneroan region, it is the crown jewel and capital of the Kasian Nation. It is said if you can't find it in Kasios, you can't find it anywhere, and it's pretty much true. Merchants from all over travel to Kasios to participate in the region's largest marketplace, which is true in population, land size it covers, and gold traded. No matter how meaningless or trivial, or how dangerous and destructive, if you can't find it here, you can't find it anywhere.
Kasios City is arguably older than Aridia itself. It was said that the base of the city was founded around an Oasis by the first settlers to go into the desert. The legend also goes that the first settlers were also crafty, realizing that self-suffiency just wasn't going to happen in the desert, they took to making whatever they could out where they were, and traveling to the more well off areas to the west- selling them things they didn't really need, but being good enough salesmen that they bought them anyway. Soon, the people of the west came so hooked on these trinkets and items the Kasians produced, that the Kasians no longer had to come to them, but they went to the Kasians. Therefore, Kasios city's legacy as Orenero's Market had begun.
Kasios was initially given the same treatment as all Aridian cities- they had a town wall to protect them from roaming tribes of maurading orcs and goblins- but the Kasians ignored the wall as soon as it's constructions was completed. City Walls impede growth. And more growth means more money. The walled area of the city, deep within it's heart, is ussually referred to as "Old Kasios". In the modern era, all it contains is the Meeting House where all the merchant guilds meet to discuss Kasios's situation as a political power, as well as the original oasis that the city was originally built around. The oasis's need has long since been discarded, as most of the city lives on well water nowadays.
Kasios City design is also unique in the fact that there is really no differentation between commerical and residential districts of the cities. The merchants want to live close to their shops- it's not uncommon for a merchant with only enough money to start up to use his counter as a bed for quite some time. And the residents don't want to track a massive city to do thier day to day business of course. Unless, of course, you're already a made man. The powerful families of Kasios, the Raloses, The Leczers, the Kortons, the Bloods, among other families, have thier huge stately manors ussually built right into the city. If you were born in the center of the city with poor parents, the only tree you might ever see will be out of reach, in the yard of a cutthroat business man.
The only other building of note among the city is the massive mercenary fortress found outside of Old Kasios. Outside Samanios, this holds the largest amount of on duty merc forces you could find. With Orenero's largest marketplace, you also have Orenero's largest collection of thieves. Stolen merchandise provides Kasios with a massive criminal underworld, one which the mercenary forces try to flush out daily- or at least until they cough up a big enough bribe to make them forget what they saw.