Kanemoria
From Himitsu no Sensou
This article is for general information about the country of Kanemoria. For the page consisting entirely of Kanemoria's maps, please see Maps of Kanemoria.
Kanemoria is a country that lies to the south of the continent, a largely corrupt kingdom highly dependent of commerce and trade. It is governed by a King and a Council of Twelve, as a conditional monarchy. Its ruling lord is King Reuben, and the current heir presumptive is High Prince Julian. Its capital is Norey.
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[edit] History
Roughly 200 years prior to the current date, Dentoria's House Norey found itself in quite an enviable position; its prime location and wide sphere of influence had made its nobles quite wealthy through the virtues of trade and commerce, primarily with the countries Atsiria and Korin, and later with Hanalan, as word of mouth spread. However, as a subordinate house of Dentoria, House Norey was subject to trade regulations and taxes to its King in Eblar. As House Norey grew in wealth and influence, its Lord became embittered toward the King, feeling that he had reached a wall, and to break past it, as he knew he could, Eblar and Crown's influence over him had to be removed.
Thus, a civil war ignited. Not surprisingly, won over by bribes and promises of future wealth, the smaller houses of Dentoria beneath Norey, located in the land mass that is now Kanemoria, allied with him to fight for their independence. Their armies were vastly outnumbered, though well trained, as most Dentorian knights are reputed to be, but rumour and unofficial records state that though feigning neutrality, both Korin and Atsiria shipped soldiers to fight for Norey's cause, eventually turning the tide of the battles in their favor.
It was a relatively quick war; it soon became apparent that despite their claims of neutrality, the sentiments of the majority of the rest of Eire were in Norey's favor; Dentoria, in their minds, had land to spare, and none could argue that Norey's methods were doing wonders for trade across the continent in general. The King conceded defeat; Norey and his allies were given independent reign over their lands. He quickly declared himself the King of this new land, which he called Kanemoria; its capital became a city named after and located on the site of his old Dentorian Castle. The smaller houses beneath him were disbanded, but in their place, he made their lords and ladies members of a Council of Twelve, stationed to mediate his decisions and ensure Kanemoria was ruled with a just hand.
The rigid structure of Dentoria and the old codes of knighthood persisted for a time, but after a few generations, it became apparent that the old ways were hardly suited to the fast-paced life of commerce expected for most Kanemorians. Those determined to hold to the old ways migrated west; the rest remained, and Kanemoria began to establish its own culture, based less around codes and honor, and more around wealth, trade, prosperity, and opportunity.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Topography
Kanemoria is a mountainous country, known to have infamously rocky soil, unfit for most forms of agriculture; it is, in fact, this situation that prompted the mercantile theme of the nation. A series of mid-sized mountain ranges run from the northern tip of the country along east and west borders, tapering off roughly halfway through the country from north to south. A third range, called the Alterac Mountains, extends from the eastern coast to the center of the country heading west; the city of Norey is nestled into the southern face of this range. While the Alterac Range is the shortest lengthwise, it is comprised of the tallest mountains to be found in the country.
While there are fewer mountains proper in the south, rocky hills extend near to the treacherous southern coastline, equally unfit for agricultural pursuits. There is some small-scale farming done along the more fertile land along the riverbeds and deltas, and smaller towns thrive along the rivers, trading amongst themselves.
[edit] Climate
The climate in Kanemoria is typically warm and mild throughout the year, and grows progressively drier as one travels the country from west to east. It can become almost uncomfortably hot during the summer, particularly nearer to the eastern borders of the country, and its winters are generally temperate, with snow capping the mountains in the winter.
Kanemoria is known for its notorious rainy season, which onsets near the start of spring and continues for most of the season. During this time, torrential rains sweep the country, causing mudslides and minor annoyances on the best of years, and heavy flooding and damage to roads and cities on the worst.
[edit] Cities
[edit] Government
When a King dies, a successor is elected by the Council. It often is the Prince that is chosen, if there is one, as the Council is typically acquainted with them from a young age, and the Prince is oftentimes well educated and suited to the task. However, the Council is free to choose anyone of their liking, provided the votes of nine of twelve councilors agree. The position of either King or Council Member has no term length limitation; retirement, death, failing on one's position (as indicated by dismissal upon Review) or breaking any of several specific, unforgivable laws are the only ways to lose your position, and the latter route is likely to lose you your head in the process.
New Council Members are appointed by the King and approved by the remainder of the Council. Candidates for this position are often Royal Advisors, Judges, or aspiring merchants who gain the favor of the people and manage to catch the eye of the Council or King. The only real requirement for the position is to be a Kanemorian citizen with a clean record; anyone is free to aspire to be a Councilor, provided they have that. Councilors undergo review every four years; during these times of Review, the people of Kanemoria are free to campaign for the removal of certain council members they feel are not leading them to their liking. Complaints and praises alike are heard in public forums; taking an active part in this process as a citizen of Kanemoria is often an excellent way to catch the eye of the nobility if one aims to be a Councilor themself. When the speeches are through and the decision is to be made, each council member undergoes review from his eleven peers and the King himself, though his vote holds no extra weight; a vote of 9 or higher for removal results in the Councilor losing his position and a replacement is appointed soon after.
As one can imagine, this system is not free from corruption; as is the case with most things in Kanemoria, bribes, blackmail, and other unsavory methods are often employed by both citizens loyal to councilors, and Councilors themeselves alike, to ensure favorable results. Politics in Kanemoria can be a dangerous game; assassinations are common and corruption is a constant shadow across the Council, especially when the time for reviews draws near.
Both men and women can be appointed to the Council. There is nothing in the country's laws that states that Kanemoria cannot have a Queen rather than a King, but it has never happened, and most people do not know the possibility even exists, besides, assuming that only a man can be elected to the throne of Kanemoria.
The individual great cities of Kanemoria -- Rechesa, Salinda, Hyrule and Riva -- are ruled by their own High Seat, a position held in all cities barring Rechesa by the ancestral heir to the cities' corresponding House. There are largely ceremonial elections held to coincide with Norey's Review period in each city. These Houses, including House Norey, are also the source of Kanemoria's "Old Blood" Nobility -- those nobles who can trace their line back to the old Houses of the Riverlands before the War of Independence. The High Seat of the Great Cities holds no official vote on the Council, though there is precedent for the High Seat retiring his position to serve on the Council, in the past, and the wealth and power the position brings is certainly nothing to snub -- High Seats often rule as pseudo-kings in their own right, ruling over their cities with general autonomy, checked only by looming elections and the ability of the King and Council to strip the title and hold a reassigning election with a majority vote.
The High Seat creates his -- or her -- own laws, binding on the borders of their city and in its surrounding region. Laws originating from Norey take precedence, and a city law cannot overturn a decree of the King and Council ... but the King and Council can overturn any law ordained by a High Seat if believed unjust. In this way, the individual cities of Norey differ slightly from one to the other in legislation.
[edit] Society
[edit] Life
Kanemoria is truly a land of opportunity; anyone with appreciable skills can find work, and those exceptionally gifted in their trade and blessed with a clever mind find that wealth is readily available to them in Kanemoria where it likely would not be elsewhere. Trades of all types flourish here; artists and performers are often from Kanemoria, as well. Masters of nearly every craft call Kanemoria home, and it is not uncommon for citizens of other countries to migrate there to pursue their own aspirations that may not be feasible in their homelands.
Despite this, none can deny that Kanemoria's primary function concerns trade and commerce; the wealthiest of Kanemoria's citizens are craftmasters and merchants, and the latter far outnumber the former, to say the least. Kanemoria acts as a trade center between Dentoria, Korin, Atsiria and Hanalan; exports from all of these countries typically pass through Kanemoria's borders through large caravans and become imports for the others, via the same caravans. The wealthiest of Kanemoria's merchants form an elite class of sorts that handle the most lucrative deals; there are four extremely rich merchants that run almost all of the trade in Kanemoria through subordinates. The web can become so tangled that oftentimes the smaller merchants do not even know they are ultimately in the employ of one of these four, or which one they work for, for that matter.
These four trade empires and a widespread underground criminal society are the backbone of life for the common Kanemorian. Almost all commoners in Kanemoria belong to one of these groups, whether they are aware of it or not. The trade empires are fairly inoccuous; the ruling class is aware they exist but do little to prevent it, as they have done a fine job promoting prosperity and organization, and they pay their taxes to the Council's liking, and thus are largely left alone. The four merchants at the head of each "empire" are enemies, however, constantly attempting to best one another, constantly attempting to gain more power, more influence.
The criminal society of Kanemoria has been rumoured to be headed by one of these four most powerful merchants, by various Councilors, and by the King himself, at times; no one seems to know the truth of the matter. Yet there is a very highly organized and very vicious criminal society present in Kanemoria, one that keeps close eye over the lawmakers and more powerful citizens, one that keeps a close reign on shady dealings, one that is rumoured to smuggle inventory to Atsiria, assassinate those with enemies willing to pay high prices, and perform other unlawful tasks in the shadows, where people either are ignorant of them or pretend they do not exist even when they've seen evidence of it for themselves.
For the others in Kanemoria, life is taken in stride, with titles meaning little and courtesies meaning less. Kanemoria is a land of opportunists, where those with skills succeed and those without them starve, with few willing to lend a hand to the unfortunates along the way. It is brutal, in a way, but most Kanemorians swear they'd not have it any other way. Merchants, performers, thieves, artists -- anyone with a free spirit and a wild ambition is free to try their luck in Kanemoria, where everyone is welcome to play on a relatively level field, free from the expectations of family and the burden or blessings of titles.
[edit] Customs
Despite once having been a part of Dentoria, little remains of Dentorian culture for modern Kanemorians. The knights and soldiers that exist belong not to individual houses, but instead to the Palace itself; the wealthier merchants hire bodyguards and arsenals of their own in private, though it is illegal for any citizen of Kanemoria to have in their employ anything that resembles a standing army of their own.
Kanemorians primarily speak Trade, although most Kanemorians know Dentorian, their native tongue. They have established their own unique slang and accent over the years, and though the language remains the same, it is often apparent to citizens of Dentoria when a Kanemorian is speaking it as opposed to one of their own. Trade is primarily used simply due to the large influx of people from other countries that construes the population, and because merchants are accustommed to its use in dealings with other countries -- quite simply, it is more convienent to use Trade for most things, and thus that is the way things are done.
Festivals are common in Kanemoria; the religious festivals for the Dragons are observed just about everywhere, and Kanemorians also celebrate things such as their own Independence Day, with many smaller celebrations throughout the year that other countries do not observe. The atmosphere in Kanemoria is fast paced, and its people quite enjoy their celebrations; perhaps that is why there are so many. Dancing and music are prevalent in Kanemoria's culture; most wandering bards and performers are either from or received training in Kanemoria. There is a thriving theatrical movement in the country; it is not uncommon to see various plays advertised in the larger cities.
For fun, Kanemorians usually attend these shows, or various other performances; from organized theatrical productions to novice dancers practicing on a streetcorner, it isn't hard to find something interesting in its cities. Wealthier Kanemorians are known to throw parties when the mood strikes them, affairs that can be formal but usually are not, with hired performers and plenty of drink to go around. Kanemorians are generally a happy lot; no matter one's station in life, there is always hope for improvement if one is willing to make an effort, and those who don't typically don't last long enough to put a damper on the atmosphere, anyway.
Schools are open to anyone with a desire to learn; children are usually sent there, but no real effort is made to keep them there, at least by the schools themselves. Typically, Kanemorian children spend little time in public schools and are apprenticed to merchants or trade masters at a young age so that they can begin to specialize in and learn specific trades. There is a large public library near the Palace in Norey, and smaller ones in various other cities, ensuring that those of scholarly persuasions unable to afford enrollment in the Korin Academy at least have some way to further their pursuits.
Most of the laws in Kanemoria center around business and fair trade, ensuring that the country remains a relatively equal opportunity place.
[edit] Other Notes
Clothing in Kanemoria depends largely on wealth and one's origin; Atsirians and Dentorians tend to keep the customs of their home country, merchants tend to dress as richly as they can afford, performers wear flashy and sometimes scandoulous outfits -- clothing in Kanemoria is as varied as the country and its citizens themselves.
The streets of the larger cities and even some of the smaller ones are often lined with merchants selling various wares; Kanemorian merchants sell among themselves and to commoners alike -- a caravan arriving from Hanalan will sell its produce to those headed for Korin or Atsiria, for instance, as both of those countries have a high demand for produce. Most cities have specified market districts, which are usually loud and very crowded, but buying and selling in Kanemoria is hardly restricted at all, let alone to these districts -- those it is usually safer to conduct business there, as there is typically a more concrated law force observing things in these areas.
[edit] Characters of Kanemorian Heritage
[edit] Highborn Characters
[edit] Royalty
- King Reuben, king of Kanemoria.
- Prince Julian, the high prince of Kanemoria.
- Prince Tris, a traitor to his brother. deceased
[edit] Nobles
- Brittany, daughter of Councilor Wesley, in the employment of Mydra.
- Christopher, son of Councilor Reston, in the employment of Mydra.
- Fayre, once a noblewoman and now a dancer, in the employment of Mydra.
- Lucas, also known as Kooly. The once-missing son of Councilor Rickon. Deceased.
- Mydra, the half Kilian Master of Spies.
- Councillor Reston, Christopher's father, formerly the high prince of Kanemoria.
[edit] Commonborn Characters
- Adamm, missing since the city was razed.
- Allan, a thief.
- Ariel, a prostitute.
- Brett, a merchant's daughter and traveler.
- Calaith, a wandering musician. Brother of Inara.
- Casey, a half Atsirian merchant's daughter.
- Cass, a poor merchant's son who wants to be a priest.
- Cassidy, a prostitute from the well known Best Dress brothel in Colndor.
- Catherine, a street rat and a prostitute.
- Chiel, also known as Cass.
- Connor, a mysterious man of unknown age.
- Crow, a thief and a streetrat.
- Elyiethe, a well-known and well-loved actress of Norey.
- Fallyn, a dancer, twin to Isllyn.
- Garvey, a pirate.
- Inara, a merchant's daughter. Sister of Calaith.
- Isllyn, a singer and musician. Twin to Fallyn.
- Jace, a rogue of quick and eager learning.
- Kessla, matriarch of a family of assassins, mother to Tyrane and Karia.
- Lark, a child prostitute, currently turned away from the business to find honest work.
- Maeve, also known as Blanche. An assassin.
- Shasta, a street girl turned to organized crime to make a living. Lover of Lucas. Deceased.
- Tyrane, an assassin-in-training.
