Worldbuilding Challenge 1907

Worldbuilding Challenge 1907:

Write a "Top Five" list for your country.  Describe each point with at least one sentence (but no more than one paragraph) of explanation.  The topic can cover anything you want.  Possible examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Top Five Most Famous Historical Figures
* Top Five Richest People/Families
* Top Five Tourist Traps
* Top Five Most Common Desserts
* Top Five National Songs
* Top Five Household Pets
* Top Five Shopping Venues
* Top Five Most Attended Sporting Events
* Top Five Things My Country Wants to Be Remembered For
* Top Five Places Not to be at Night
* Top Five Most Visited Works of Art
* Top Five Museums in the Capital
* Top Five Invasive Plants
* Top Five Countries You Trade With
* Top Five Books First Published in 1907
* Top Five Towns That Could Become the Local Las Vegas
* Top Five Fastest-Growing Cities
* Top Five Lost/Destroyed National Treasures
* Top Five Archaeological Sites
* Top Five Sporting Clubs

### Liotain:

Top Five Richest Families

1. **The Duargillas**: this ancient family have continuously owned and operated an azularie factory for over six centuries.  By cautiously reinvesting their money over this massive amount of time, they've ended up being the richest Liotainians.
2. **The Mazeikas**: once wealthy landowners, they spent the 1700s leading the way on land reform, reinvesting into steel, railways, textiles, shipbuilding, and electricity. (Note: 'Mazeika' is a common Liotainian surname.)
3. **The Bernotas**: This family from Rokantiskes gained massive wealth from their development of the Bernotas (*otl Bessemer*) Process for steelmaking.
4. **The Urmanas**: Liotain's monarchial house is a recent addition to the top five, largely due to the recent financial savvy of Queen Mother Annachiara.
5. **The Valeskas**: a family of seven competitive brothers who buy distressed businesses and turn them into winners.  They are "New Money."

### Syrellia:

Top Five Countries You Trade With

1. **Dual Monarchy**: largely due to Syrellia's ease of access to the west coast, finished goods are exported to the DM while raw materials are imported.
2. **Kongo**: Syrellia exports finished goods into Kongo through its overland connections.
3. **Liotain**: high-end industrial goods come in while we export wheat to them.
4. **Firocco**: sells luxury goods in Syrellia in exchange for things like cement.
5. **Antargentina**: a good mutual export partner, though trade significantly damaged by their civil war

### The Shield States

Top Five Household Pets

1. **Sheltered Hounds**: Theses classic canines are natives to the Shelter Islands and are the same consummate survivors as the L'acquan. Different breeds range from 90 to 200 lbs. They are companions guards and beasts of burden Every grand house and the majority of lesser house have stables tha breed these hounds for the people at large. The loyalty and dedication the animals display is consider to be a religious ideal. The Popular Travels of the Paragons book series featured Roland who was a Sheltered hound of the shepherd breed. After the incorporation of The Mon Cala Empire it was found that the normal breeds can find the warm weather distasteful so a new breed without the thick coat was commissioned. All breeds display high intelligence.
2. **Stretch Legs**: A species of poultry native to Wazari, they are popular pets throughout the Mon Caln Empire. Well known for their white speckled black feathers, sharp beaks and larger brown eggs. Hens average 6 lbs full grown. They are capable of only limited flight. They are well known for their surprisingly emotive body language.
3. **Coldwater Crayfish** Originating in CoNI and the Shelter Islands these small crustaceans are popular water tank pets they can eat mosses and other vegetables. As Urban centers increase so has the popularity of these bug like pets due to the low overhead in money and time, while still providing the serotonin boost that humans and nearhumans find from caring for living creatures.
4. **Tokkaidoan Cats**:These Imported Felines are well adapted to the cold and are feuice enough to survive the harsh environment of the shelter Islands. Attempts to create a breed with a non pelt similar to the hounds for warmer environments have met with decent success and should be available soon. Though despite their cuteness and survivability some fine them to be a vanity as they are incapable of many of the labors the hounds would be. Though as more species of rat have made their way into the Shelter Islands these complaints have been by majority annulled.
5. **Miniature Wooly Jumper** These beasts are cousins of both Sheep and Goats that in this specific case have been bread for dwarfism. They produce wool pelts like sheep though the miniature versions are obviously limited by their size. As a Saddian animal they are highly valued though they chewing can be quite the surprise for an unprepared owner. Though often not as much as their temper should one be so foolish as to mistreat one of the animals they will often receive a horned head but as retribution. Like their Goaty brethren they can be surprisingly comfortable with precarious positions on cliffs or buildings as urban owners have discovered.

### Kyslev:

Top Five National Songs

1. **Ballad to Ashyse**: Kyslev's national anthem which accepts the gifts given by her and commits everyone to going forward into the unknown for salvation and liberation.
2. **Slutskianka**: started out as the song of choice for Kyslev's domestic Communist movement and has become an unofficial anthem of Kyslev following the Silk Revolution and the election of High Priestess Milani.
3. **Regeneration**: a folk song popular in the hinterlands of Kyslev that invites the listener to remember the good days.
4. **Cartouche**: taking a more mystic approach to songwriting, focuses on using myths to help combat the darkest of nights.
5. **Walls of Dengfeng**: the newest song to grace Kyslev's limited musical field, it does a brief summary of the Siege of the Legation Quarter while highlighting the bravery of the Kyslevite Guard. Popular among the descendants of Astyrian immigrants and those who wish to return to the Dual Monarchy's protection.

### Ostrony:

Top Five Best Places to Take a Date

1. **Pajari Rydek**: At the centre of Pajari lies the best of the best which Ostrony has to offer; unenumerable stores, museums, and pubs line the gorgeous cobbled street, adorned with ornate street lamps which illuminate the metal statues of some of Ostrony's best & brightest, who stand ever presently in the centre of the city's roads.
2. **Pixie Hunting in Bydgosice**: the remnant of a long dead folk religion in the area, pixie hunting has always been a fun couples' activity in northern Ostrony. Just a few minutes north of Bydosice lies the small town of Brayko Poleta, where they offer seats on their special guided "Pixie Trolley," which runs through a wheat field, supposedly one of the last places where pixies may be found in the world.
3. **Giewont Mountain**: the somewhat challenging hike up this peak is well worth the view at the top, where you can preside like a Czar over the lush arboreal pine forests outside of Tinevechi, whilst being fanned by the cool, Ostron Ocean breeze.
4. **Nieblasu Observatory**: built by the famous Mikołaj Gopernilev, Nieblasu Observatory was one of the first modern observatories built on Erf, and remains somewhat on function. While tickets are pricy, the history & view are well worth the cost!
5. **Nazaprad Sklonove**: if you and your partner love action, than the Nazaprad Sklonove is the place for you! Here, the quaint, warm experience on the upper cabin, which offers genuine Kustyrian coffee to keep you warm, blends seemlessly with the adrenaline rush of skiing headstrong down the mountain (safety parameters in place, of course.)

### Arkadyetsiya

Top Five Fastest-Growing Cities in 1907

1. **Kirinovo:** The recent completion of the Lyube-Kovaya Rail Line has ushered in an era of unprecedented economic growth. Being Pobeda's only rail connection to the sea, the city of Kirinovo continues to expand to meet trade and shipping demands. The demand for work has attracted thousands to the city. Dozens of companies and small businesses populate the streets with their businesses. The growing steel industry due to the city's access to iron contributes to this growth as well.
2. **Lyubengrad:** Situated on the banks of the Anabar river, Lyubengrad is referred to as the "Gate to Pobeda," for both economic and historical reasons. All goods going north or south eventually pass through Lyubengrad. The close proximity of resources such coal, copper, silver, aluminum, and cotton support a massive amount of industry and shipping in this city, heightening the demand for jobs.
3. **Ishivir:** Ishivir is the heart, crossroads, and capital of the Felyan Peninsula. The ever increasing industrialization, population, and use of rail promotes steady economic growth that gives this city the number three spot on this list.
4. **Svorga:** Being the Pechoran River Valley's connection to the sea, Svorga is a critical naval and shipping port for the Empire. The city hosts the home base for the Imperial Navy, and the Tsar's demand for naval expansion as well as an increased amount of trade with the world, has led to the city's recent growth.
5. **Perekrestok:** Located in the heart of Pobeda, Perekrestok is a important center of trade and culture for the region. Use of the city as a supply depot for the 11-Day War expanded the city's capabilities to manage trade and industry, making it an attractive place to both work and live.

### Maoudi

Top Five Chilies

1. **Pale Lady Chili:** Originating in the maoudi heartlands, its a classic to be sure. a white bean and Chicken with minced celery and a cheesy base. Mild-Medium
2. **Heat Shield Hottie:** Popularized by Derk Gunpowder, it is traditionally served from gun shaped china. A burgundy mukbang of all kinds of beans (although its predominantly black beans) with pork and or turkey sausage and heavily seasoned with peppers. Hot
3. **Chumbo:** A coastal mix of chili and gumbo. sausage and shrimp chili with extra tomatoes, white beans, brown rice, and an aftertaste reminiscent of tartar sauce. Mild
4. **Jolt bowl:** A traditional cowboy treat for when you're all out of the canned goods on the road, now available for everyone to enjoy. Coffee brewed with black beans and ground beef. Mild-Hot
5. **Spice Chili**: way back when, this was usually made for the end of winter, when people had used all the good stuff. Nowadays people just eat it for fun though, maybe the kick is nostalgic to some. minor amounts of turkey with watery tomato base and boiled onions and peppers of all kinds. Some people even put tree bark in with it. hot-very hot

## Top Five Richest Families of Firocco

1. The Infulenzia Family. (Deep pocket inheritance, DM and Dengfeng Trading Companies, Banking)

2.     Carranza Family (Mining, Copper ore, steel, raw material)

3.     House Cartagena (Royalty, owns shares on the trading companies and industry)

4.     Fonalledas Family (Retail, secondhand trade, markets, consumer good and foodstuffs)

5.     Cardenas Family (weapons trade, shipbuilding, automobile industry, radio, and telegraph)

The Cardenas Family, mostly led by the business magnate and patriarch Julian Gerencia Cardenas owns a wide range of Firoccan enterprises focused in the production of weapons, arms sales, shipbuilding. CAFI which is a public-private venture in Firocco and controls the entire Firoccan automobile market is shared 70% of its stocks and profits to the Cardenas Family. Salcono Industries which produces the SMMS infantry rifle and among many different types of weapons is directly owned by the Cardenas. The cardenas also hold dominant shares in the emerging radio and telegraph industries like Radio Baleafornia and Coloso Telegraphs & Co. While the shipbuilding industry the Cardenas Family hold the least off of their sphere in the market they are an emerging force in the production of naval equipment and civilian shipbuilding, increasing in the construction of new civilian infrastructure. The Cardenas Family combined pool hold around 124 million pounds in assets and liquid currency.

The Fonalledas Family, led by Miguel Fonalledas controls basically almost the entire consumer good and foodstuff industry, everything from bottled milk, canned food, packaged grains, packed meat, condiments, fruits and vegetables, candy, flour, bread, fish, you name it, the Fonalledas Family holds leading shares in these industries. To add insult to injury the Fonalledas originally made their wealth in retail and the distribution of consumer goods through malls and markets where traders pay a share of the profits to use their establishments. Fonalledas hold a combined pool of 156 million pounds in assets and liquid currency.

House Cartagena is the most famous or perhaps “infamous” family of Firocco. The now former royalty who ruled Firocco for centuries in their glory days of conquest, commerce and imperial primacy. Ousted after the Bonaventurian Wars, the royal family agreed that in their abdication to the Courts they would be given shares of the lucrative FDATC and FDTC as well as their ability to hold shares in other industries while given lavish lifestyles at Isla Canardia. They accepted. Isla Canardia essentially became the royals’ own private island where the nation’s and perhaps the world’s most extravagant activities are hosted especially at the newly constructed Palacio Cartagena, a 4 square mile enormous palace. House Cartagena holds a combined net worth of 200 million pounds in assets and liquid currency

The Carranza Family compared to the previous 3 is an oddity. Sergio Carranza was originally from a poor Antargentinian family who emigrated to Montserraria in 1849. Carranza worked as a naval communications officer who with his elevated wage purchased shares and investments in the construction of new railroads, oil derricks, and railcars as Montserraria industrialized. He accumulated further wealth in his new job as a stock salesman in the Montserrarian Stock Exchange where he struck big, with this new found money he built Montserrarian Copper and Bronze which exploited the massive Montserrarian copper reserves in a pivotal moment as copper was in high demand and low supply. His booming industry caught the attention of the Infulencias whom agreed to purchase shares in his enterprise which gave Carranza enormous sums of capital. He utilized this newfound capital to expand operations in the Firoccan colonies of Chi Son which exploited deposits of Cobalt, Molybdenum, Tin, and other rare earth metals. Montserrarian Copper Co opened several subsidiaries in the production of high-grade steel which was sold to shipbuilders and industries across the world. The Carranza Family holds an estimated wealth of 324 million pounds.

The Infulencia Family

The Infulencia Family owes their wealth to their ownership of the Firocco-Dengfeng Trading Company and the Firocco Denishu-Astyria Trading Company. The Infulencia Family have their roots in the independence war for Firocco as early industrialists who were responsible for the expansion of the Firoccan Navy and merchant marine. The trading companies were the brainchilds of Juan and Maria Gabriel Infulencia who built a shadow empire of wealth and benefited immensely from Firocco’s rise as a great power. The Infulencias’ very wealth is what gives backing to the Firoccan National Bank, and the Infulencias directly own every major bank in the nation. The FDTC and FDATC and by extension the Infulencias were directly responsible for major wars against the Dengfeng and the DM empires, with their establishment of treaty ports and early monopolization of critical trade like tea, and luxury goods made them immensely wealthy. They exerted soft power over countries across the world that was never seen before by a private conglomerate like theirs. The Infulencias however restrain themselves from entering the limelight of public politics and prefer to keep expanding their wealth safely by any means. The Infulencias hold small shares on every industry of Firocco, partnerships with industrialists to expand economic growth. Gold, Silver mining is directly controlled by the Infulencias and keeps large swaths of the Firoccan bureaucracy under their payroll. Their name influences an enormous part of firocco’s history and power their name echoes the word of “Influence” in firoccan. Firocco understands the dange that exists with monopolists like the Infulencias but surprisingly they have been very compliant with state reforms towards regulation and anti-monopoly practices knowing that the state will inevitably subsidize their losses to purchase more and more continuing the cycle. The Infulencia’s wealth is spread out among its huge family but their combined net worth knocks all competition out of the park at 1.6 billion pounds with assets and liquidity distributed amongst the global market.