Galrafona

Galrafona is a backstate which lies to the south of the backstate region. Galrafona is bordered by Wels, Onfrem, Zackers, Cloame, Leshed, New Tates and Saquen. During the 19th century, Galrafona suffered a cataclysmic event (known as 'G-Day', 'Day of Sentencing' and 'The Black Week') which rendered the entire state uninhabitable. Currently, Galrafona is not governed directly. Instead, governance of the state is managed by the Galrafona Safety Initiative Group (GSIG) which is headquartered in Leshed's capital Roemon. The capital city of Galrafona used to be the city of Fort Werthers. Currently, Galrafona sustains no permanent population.

## History

Galrafona was initially founded as a state sometime in the early 19th Century. The first governments of Galrafona tried to advertise the state as a crossroads and therefore, as a perfect area to trade and do business. However, this didn't quite succeed. The government then tried to attract business by reducing regulations on worker's rights and taxation, attempting to become some sort of haven. This worked to some extent, with many Backstate corporations basing at least a regional headquarters in Galrafona.

In the mid-to-late 19th century, Galrafona was the site of a devastating ecological collapse caused by the sudden appearance of slender, humanoid figures with incredibly sharp claws and teeth known to backstaters as 'Skitters.' The origin of these skitters is unknown, but most associate their appearance with supernatural malpractice conducted by The Habes & Gwitch Company. Due to their incredible hunting prowess, the skitters not only wiped out entire human settlements, but also devastated wildlife populations. Population centers in Galrafona were evacuated just after the initial outbreak however, the fast-moving skitters quickly expanded and caught up with many evacuation convoys, causing many thousands of casualties.

In response to this new threat, the government of Galrafona with the assistance of its neighbors built a large wall circumnavigating the entire state. However, due to the unforeseen rapid spread of skitter populations, this wall had to extend into Zackers. With the threat of the total wipeout of humanity looming overhead, the project was completed with incredible haste. With the skitters confined to Galrafona and southern Zackers, the remaining flora and fauna of Galrafona began to wane. Eventually, after just a few years, Galrafona was reduced to a desolate wasteland.

## Geography

Modern day Galrafona is a dry and mostly flat desolate wasteland. The destruction of the diverse ecosystem has made it so only the hardiest flora and fauna can survive within the state. The south of the state is hillier, with the north being flat with little deviation.

The only still-standing maintained structures in Galrafona are the roads that travel between the east and west bordering states. This allows vehicles, with a great degree of caution, to cross the hostile state from the east to the west.

Crossing Galrafona is a perilous task. Vehicles hoping to make the journey across the state have to take many precautions before they enter the state. Also, many rules have been laid down to reduce the number of deaths to skitters. For example, vehicles have to have a minimum of two people, at least one passenger has to be in possession of and be competent with a firearm, vehicles must be fully refueled before making the cross and vehicles must not slow to under 50 miles per hour during the crossing.

Galrafona's largest city and capital was Fort Werthers, located to the southeast. Prior to the collapse, it had a population of approximately 110,000 people. The entire state had a population of around 450,000. A large prison named The Dreseden Offenders Institution was located near the border with Onfrem.

## Culture & Demographics

Prior to the devastation of Galrafona, its inhabitants shared a rich culture which took influence from neighboring backstates as well as the mainlands. While Galrafonan cuisine is considered staple and inelegant, Galrafonans pride themselves on their musical accomplishments. It is common for children to begin learning to play instruments at an early age, often not long after they've learned to speak and walk. Many songs written by mainland artists borrow, often inadvertently, from Galrafonan musical stylings. Some Galrafonans often claim jazz music and Blues as Galrafonan inventions.

Modern-day Galrafonans whose ancestors were forced to leave their state have taken their culture with them. The surrounding states have found many of the towns which took in large numbers of Galrafonan refugees have developed a hybridization of Galrafonan culture and their own. Von Keller, captital of Leshed, has a notable Galrafonan community which was responsible for the creation of Leshed Swing and later, Leshed Rock.