The Carnala Republics

==== Carnala Republics ====
The Carnala Republics are a bunch of trade republics in a miliary- and trade union that have introduced a rad new form of ruler-ship - Namely partial democracy. 
They share a common affinity for trade and flourish greatly from their position as basically a bridge from the Southern Westerlands to Northern Rahamra - being the Southern Most Westerland Kingdoms. The people of Carnala are migrating in large amounts to the Source Lands, because their republics have very limited military power, and cannot really expand. 
The Carnala dominate the trade with the Orient and can be credited as the people responsible for bringing back Sourcery. Necromancy has recently become a trend in Carnala, and they re-purpose their dead as workers and soldiers. 
Carnala is full of universities and source academies, and is slowly turning into a magocracy, with the joint Carnala Republics being ruled by the council of Carnala, which was supposed to be a meritocracy, electing people from universities, but no one except gifted sourcererors make it into the council. 
The Carnala Republics have Condottieri instead of Knights - people who are trusted to lead the defenses of the Republics. Earning the title of Condottieri is a very significant honor, outshining the idea of a Knighthood in the Orlesian tradition, quite a bit. 
Condottieri recruit human mercenaries from the Mark Lands, due to their obvious Neutrality - but they also use Golems and Undead soldiers. 
The Carnala Republics do not have their own armies. They are known as the pacifist nation among many other Westerland Kingdoms on account of not having any fighting men at all, excepting their condottieri. 
This is largely untrue though, as murder is very common in the Viper's Nest (slang for the Republics), and many Assassin Guilds, Thieves Guilds and Criminal Syndicates operate fairly obviously and openly there. 
Assassination is actually, by now, considered a natural part of their political system. When a politician becomes too unpopular, someone eventually pays enough to have them assassinated. 
The Carnala Republic is the breeding ground for new weapons - it's difficult to say what is the current arms fashion in the greatest merchant nation on the planet. What ever is currently propagandized as being the best! 
Influences: Renaissance Italy/Venice ect.