Ralkeis

If anything can be said about the "Fifty" Islands of Ralkeis, it's that they are exceedingly unique. Being the most powerful openly Netheran nation ever known, their neighbors are highly wary of the strange land of nightcrawler eaters.
Originally a fraction of the Krolesk'Kan Empire, the archipelago broke free in Year Forty-Five. When ships  were sent to reclaim the land, a powerful tyrant named Lord Gyravan brought in a hundred enlisted blazes to burn the fleet to ash. Krolesk decided to leave Ralkeis to its own devices. This marked the first major split from the Empire, and would herald a gradual collapse in the years to cme.
Gary Gyravan named the archipelago "Ralkeis", meaning, in their language, "Holy Land". With the help of a calculating vizier named John Vyros, he worked hard to bring the land under his thumb by any means necessary. Vyros founded the Magma Walkers, a secret police organization trained to weed out dissent, and the Catacombs were built to allow them easy access to all fifty-something islands.
Later, Vyros would betray Gyravan, chasing him out and instating a limited democracy. John Vyros is now in his third term, and Ralkeis is in a state of peace. How long this will last is uncertain.
== Governance ==
Ralkeis has a fairly unique system in New Voldrania, though it is considerably fractured between the fifty islands.
=== Politics ===
Since Vyros's rule, Nether worship is no longer mandatory (though a required tithe to Chorkichi remains in place), trade and tourism are opened up for other nations, and, most importantly, a weak democracy has been put in place. Aside from a small Constitution, the person elected has, in theory, total power. There is no governing body charged with maintaining the Constitution, so gray areas generally fall to the president to decide.
Ralkeis contains three major political parties: The Republicans, the Realists, and the Moralists. Each party also "happens" to have a military force associated with it (see Military).
Republicans: Founded by Sage Cavvage, this party is motivated by a wish for increased freedom and democracy. Among their goals include a senate, the instatement of a maximum term, and the creation of a body that can enforce the Constitution, such as a senate or high court, to limit the Magma Walkers' currently unchecked power. It is currently the least popular of the three parties, but holds a strong foothold in Svartok.
Realists: Founded by John Vyros, this party is headed by the simple opinion that the only approach that works for government is an uncaring, practical approach. Ethics and, to some extent, morals get in the way of the country's protection, and the mindless bureaucracy they bring will only strangle the new age of order and peace. It is currently the most popular party, particularly in Tesilik and Orumath.
Moralists: Founded by Yubbeus Skink, this party is based solely in Nether worship–specifically, Cascade Nether worship. It calls for a return to Gyravan principles of a mandated religion, often minimizing the Cascade influence (as Cascaders are not popular in Ralkeis). The Moralists are slowly climbing in popularity, though hampered by harsh restrictions on voting put in place by Vyros, and completely control Chothral and Berkict.
=== Island States ===
While the reigning president does have ultimate control over Ralkeis—at least in theory—each island possesses its own form of government. A typical island is comprised of a number of towns or tribes, each contributing one vote towards the island's overall leadership. For instance, Tesilik, the third-largest of the Ralkish islands, contains seven towns, one city and four tribes. Each possesses one vote on the Tesilikan Council, except Svar'kov, Tesilik's capital city, which possesses three due to its size. When there is a question as to Tesilik's position on an issue, it is this council which is called to make a decision.
How each "district" casts its vote can vary, but whatever decision is made leads to a representative being sent to Svar'kov to deliver the decision. This system is practiced on almost all Ralkish islands, with the notable exceptions of Orumath and Chothral. Chothral is run by a religious dictatorship, and Orumath is ruled directly by the representatives of Orumath City, with no influence from the three tribes in Orumath's rural areas.
A given tribe or town tends to be ruled by either an elected mayor or a council of community leaders, though hereditary chiefs and formally elected council members are not unheard of. Despite attempts to discourage it during times of Esgardian control, Ralkeis has a strong leaning towards matriarchal systems, and most towns are either run by women or run with no particular gender-based bias. The exception is in Chothral, which over the last few generations has seen a severe swing towards radical patriarchy.
=== Economics ===
With the exception of its capital island, Orumath, Ralkish communities tend to show very little interest in the competitive markets seen elsewhere in Voldrania. Towns are almost invariably communistic, with the entire community managing food acquisition and community leaders determining redistribution. Towards the end of Gyravan's reign, this had led to increasingly abusive situations in many towns, with corrupt leaders manipulating these systems for their own benefit—Gyravan did not generally care as long as tithes were still delivered on time. This has only now begun to be addressed. Formerly, it was largely up to Soothers and wandering monks to resist such practices.
Barter and trade is not uncommon in Ralkeis, but currency is almost entirely unused outside of Orumath City. Orumath City is its own story—heavily influenced by Esgardian control, as well as Gyravan's preferences, it has become a nightmarish parody of capitalism. The "police force" is a paid service, organized crime is barely even crime, and forced prostitution and excessive drug use—two bloodily-maintained taboos in most of Ralkeis, even Chothral—have become commonplace. John Vyros has taken up efforts to reduce this, but short of deploying the Magma Walkers directly, there is little he can do. Deploying the Magma Walkers would have major ramifications for Orumath's support of him in presidential elections.
=== Military ===
Ralkeis has several military fronts, each quite distinct.
The Mage: An exceedingly powerful magic-user who used a pact with a Nether Spirit to help an ally keep power before Ralkeis's split with Krolesk. He reportedly blew himself up.
The Cannoneers: An assembly of about two hundred and fifty trained engineers tasked with manning the many cannons lining Ralkeis's border. They were massacred by Magma Walkers during Vyros's coup when they refused to fire on Lord Gyravan.
Magma Walkers: A well-trained force of detectives and spies. Aside from their expertise in subterfuge, the Magma Walkers are masters of torture, trained in the use of several weapons, and alone know how to navigate the Catacombs. The Magma Walkers are led by Myre, but they answer to Vyros alone.
Svartan Militia: A large force of revolutionaries newly granted legitimacy by Vyros, though still eyed with suspicion. The militia specializes in guerilla warfare, poison and sabotage, having a unique technique of herding large groups of nightcrawlers into enemy troops that has proven to be devastatingly effective–so much so that the Magma Walkers adapted the same technique, though never quite matching the Militia's success. Despite the name, the Militia is not solely Svartan. It is led by Sage Cavvage.
The Choth-Berkictian Alliance: Between Chothral and Berkict, this army is a serious force to be reckoned with. Both islands are quite prolific, quite wealthy and extremely focused on martial expertise. Choths have a knack for potionmaking, and almost every soldier has magic capabilities. This force is controlled by Skink.
==Ralkish Culture==
While the cultures of Ralkeis are as numerous as its islands, certain aspects of the nation have contributed to form the modern archipelago's collective culture. Always, religion has been a core feature of Ralkeis, shaping how the Ralkish people judge the world around them.
=== Values ===
Aside from their radical worship of the Nether, the Ralkish have several significant traditions.
Drug Use: The Ralkish regard most drugs, such as alcohol, caffeine, redstone root, and even Pepsaine, as substances best used in certain ceremonies. Pepsaine is ingested before bloody battle. Caffeine is taken before a nightcrawler hunt. Redstone root is smoked during religious ceremonies, and alcohol is for communal use in festivals. As such, excessive use of these drugs—such as becoming publicly drunk, or, worse, drunk alone—is extremely taboo in Ralkish society. Those who do so can be placed in stocks, imprisoned, or even flogged. This practice is quietly dropped when soothers come by, as the soothers prefer more medical solutions.
Soothers: Soothers are some mix between traveling doctors and religious guides—soothsayers who journey from town to tribe to town, and, rarely, even between islands. They were one of the only groups permitted to own boats during Gyravan's reign, due to the important role they played in Ralkish society. Then, they served as freelance peacekeepers, attempting to preserve ties between communities that were becoming increasingly isolated. Soothers occupy a place of unusual respect in most of Ralkeis, exceeded only by Chorkichi monks. Chothral, however, sees them as disrespectful troublemakers. Soothers are almost all female, though there is a growing movement in some islands to allow men to enter the profession as well.
Sexuality: The Ralkish norms on sexuality are quite liberated, by the standards of many nations. Soothers don't just serve as midwives, doctors and spiritual guides; they offer companionship to the people they visit, should it be so desired. The bacchanal, an ancient religious celebration culminating in mass intercourse, remains exceedingly common in most parts of Ralkeis. Open relationships are not uncommon, even in marriage, though bigamy is still held in rather low regard on most islands. Sexual assault is punished very brutally, often with maimings or executions, as it is seen as a crime on religious, moral and ethnic levels (it is seen, perhaps unfairly, as an Esgardian practice). Due to several Netheran Saints having been attracted to those outside their gender, the Ralkish have essentially no interest in judging others for their orientation.
=== The Ralkish Blight ===
The unique aspect that has defined Ralkeis over the course of its existence that the land is totally unfarmable. This is believed by the Ralkish to be the fault of the Void-worshiping Athaks, who supposedly cast a ritual long ago with the goal of bringing about an "end" to things. The ritual mostly failed, and Gyravan would later take his revenge, but there were consequences.
First, endermen began appearing in Ralkeis. The creatures would soon spread out to populate the entire land.
Second, there was the Ralkish Blight. Edible things simply stopped growing. Wheat withered to nothing. Trees bearing the Ralkish Ruby, a very popular type of apple, were infested with maggots and in mere hours reduced to rot.
The only exception was Tesilik, and the Tesilikans quietly say that this is because they would not send men to join Gyravan in his slaughter of the Athaks generations later, in some form of retroactive justice. Most Ralkish say that this is stupid talk and it's obviously just because the Tesilikans were blessed by the Nether, and the Tesilikans aren't inclined to disagree.
To adjust to the loss of greenery, though, the Ralkish began experimenting. Over years, they became more and more resistant to bacteria–though a large portion of the population died before this happened. These are remembered as  "The Hungry Times".
Finally, the Ralkish found ways to eat the only thing they could: Nightcrawler flesh. With the exception of the Tesilikans, Ralkish are now so used to this strange cuisine that they've come to see it as the best cuisine. And there's nobody outside of Ralkeis with the wish to test them on that.
Nowadays, the Ralkish are quite happy with what they eat. But one thing remains especially true, even now:
Nothing green would ever grow in Athaki again.
=== List of Notable Islands ===
Ralkeis has over fifty islands, but only a few tend to make much of a difference. Sorted in order from largest to smallest.
Orumath: The capital of Ralkeis is also the most under Vyros's thumb at this point, constantly filled with Realist propaganda. Orumath has a reputation for being rich and stupid, and this isn't a completely unfair claim.
Svartok: Formerly known as "The Rebel", Svartok is quickly becoming known as "The Reformer". Svartok has always been determined to free all of Ralkeis from oppression, and heavily resents the Magma Walkers. Sage Cavvage is from Svartok.
Tesilik: "The Farmer" is a quiet nation that tries to avoid making enemies, as Tesilikans alone are able to farm and happen to be unable to digest nightcrawlers as a consequence. Tesilik is the most populous island by far, thanks to its avoidance of "The Hungry Times", but does not often wield this influence.
Chothral: Chothral is universally feared as the home of the Cascade faith. Choths are extremely dangerous, being trained in ways of potionmaking and "pact magic" (using magic through a pact with a Nether Spirit) as well as being dangerous, unpredictable combatants thanks to their dual minds (it is a rite of passage for a Choth to enter the Nether and form a pact with a Nether Spirit when he turns fifteen). It should be noted that, in Chothral, women have no rights and serve as slaves, blood sacrifices or, at best, blacksmiths–a profession seen as devoid of honor. Skink and Gyravan are both from Chothral.
Berkict: Known as "The Savage", Berkictians are the only Ralkish who went a step beyond eating nightcrawlers and stooped to full-on cannibalism. Berkictians practice the Cascade faith, and non-Ralkish visitors are understandably rare. It is said that only three islands can keep Berkict in line: Chorkichi, Tsovu, and their master, Chothral.
Tsovu: "The Spider" is an eccentric nation of tree-climbing Nether worshipers who pride themselves on their total friendliness. Tsovs are exceedingly friendly, and have an almost childishly naive culture. Even the Berkictians feel some sympathy towards their idealistic neighbors, and actually occasionally bring trapped spiders over to have what is called a "Romp"–a great hunt through the forest. Myre is a Tsov.
Athaki: Known somewhat uncomfortably as "The Graveyard" by the other islands, Athaki is just that: a gray wasteland. Nothing green has grown there in many, many years. This is because, back in Gyravan's early days as ruler and years before Vyros would come to work for him, the only non-Nether worshiping island in the entire archipelago was the site of a brutal massacre. Every man or woman past the age of ten was killed, sometimes brutally, for his or her worship of The Void. Only the children were left alive, taken to Orumath to be reeducated. At the time, most islands supported the purge, but nowadays those who remember it prefer not to.
Karva: The only island to actually eat slime cubes, Karva is despised by essentially everyone for being incredibly rude and arrogant towards the other islands. Karva is by far the wealthiest island, thanks to its powerful pepsaine trade. Okstavians especially loathe Karvans, and there is a major rivalry between the two islands.
Okstav: Known as "The Eel", this fishing island prides itself on its independence. It serves as the main messenger between the islands, and of late has become the main port of Ralkeis's exceedingly small fleet. The inhabitans, called "Worms", are known for their unique techique of fishing for ender eels by dangling their children in the water.
[Placeholder]: A small island full of extremely hyper sugar cane farmers. Known for their extreme sport of putting bunches of sugar cane down and drawing creeper faces to startle people. This sometimes backfires when it turns out it's an actual creeper.
Chorkichi: Chorkichi consists of only a few meters of actual land, but it may be the most important island in all of Ralkeis. Designated as a holy site, a tower of stone, netherrack and glowstone was built atop the island. The monks who inhabit Chorkichi are known as the wisest in the land, and even a Choth or Karvan will pause to listen when a Chorkichi monk opens his mouth.
Nashect: "The Keeper".
==Notable Persons/See Also==
*Jonathon Vyros
*Yubbeus Skink
*Myre
*Lord Gyravan
*Sister Kava
*Netheranism
*The Nether
*Sage Cavvage
*Pepsaine
*Magma Walkers
*Krolesk
*Catacombs
==Trivia==
* There is a Ralkish island called Kovio that officially does not exist despite containing an above-average population and being a crucial exporter of coal. It is also the best pumpkin smuggler in Ralkeis.
*Two Ralkish islands, Revarli and Kontek, are officialy classified as continents. Nobody is certain why. Their combined populations total out to 16, counting the Rabble Badgers Kontek farms.
*There is a law in Chothral that requires that any mention of "Namess" be followed with hearty, derisive laughter and a blood sacrifice. Particularly fierce debates have been known to force small massacres. Choths have recently passed a law decreeing that any past or present Akarvian presidents, with the exception of Alan Fruith, be referred to as "Truthfully Whom". This is part of an effort to dehumanize leaders of the anti-Netheran world.
*The Ralkish were the first nation in what is now called New Voldrania to devise string instruments. They were also the first to try to export "monster cages", as well as the last.
*Tesilik has the only farmable land in Ralkeis, despite being a desert. This means that soil must be exported from Tesilik's neighbor. Those who don't understand the Ralkish Blight thing this is insane.
*There is an extremely small party based in Okstav called the "Equalists". This party wishes to invade Akarv to give the oppressed merfolk equal rights. It is most fervently opposed by a rival party in Karva called the Exterminists, who wish to invade Akarv to wipe out the merfolk before they can rise up and take over.
*Ralkeis is the chief exporter of the strange, pseudo-mystical drug known as "Pepsaine".
Category:Nations Category:New Voldranian Nations Category:Ralkeis Category:Stub