Francia

Noble : strong

Church : medium-strong

Wyld : low

Due to the heavy dominance of nobility of various lineages , and the constant war and argument this causes, Terredange has both an extensive military tradition and absurdly complicated legal and aristocratic customs repertoire. A strong alliance with the church of Sammael ensures the obedience of the common people. Though in the middle ages, some Wyld related uproar existed, this is now long ago.  The unopposed Samaelite preaching in Francia for centuries has ensured broad public support and entrenchment in Catholic doctrine.  Due to centuries of low wyld presence, this domain is largely ignored by the power structure of Francia,  (much unlike the situation in Avalon). In current-day Francia it just doesn’t pose a problem. Gnomes seem to take care of their own business and unlike eg. in Ireland, there are no faerie uprisings. So who cares? There may be some folk stories, but in Francia it is not of interest to serious nobles or clergymen.

### Culture

Francia is without doubt, one of the most conservative (perhaps even reactionary) nations of the continent. The Ancien Regime stands strong here due to a longstanding alliance between the Church of Samael, and the Noble houses of Terredange. The entire system is set up to yield privilege to these two estates, and the people have been taught to obey. Consequently, all high art and culture is either of a heavy, gold-clad religious nature, or one glorifying the Droit Divin of the Dragon class to rule over the land. The only ‘nation’ where the Church has even more clout are the italian territories, but that’s not really a country and has no mastodonic armies of their own (a true staple of Francia). Ever since the loss of Castillon to rebellion, Francia is the only major power that remains unambiguously loyal to the Church of Samael. Consequently, Francian clergy are quite strict when it comes to ideological purity and whispers of rebellion. “Francia shall not fall”, has been ordained by the pope, and he means it.

Whereas in other nations, residual Wyld influence has blocked the Church’s ultimate ascent to control and power, this turned out different in Francia. Though they never fully realized it , it was the absence of a Witch that led to the Wyld uproars, the heretical movements and the harsh inquistorial pushback during the latter middle ages. The result is that folk tales remain, but are not taken seriously and that the vast majority of peasant customs are of Angelic (Samaelite) origin. Or rather, though they may have been of Wyld origin, the Church has kept this hidden from the populace, converted their traditions and rituals to forge a supposed Angelic origin of those things that were actually older than the coming of the Church. (no no , it’s not the “feast of harvest”, it’s the feast of saint-so-and-so ). Consequently, public imagery is filled with images of saints as seen in the glass windows of churches and chapels, and as preached on the (socially mandatory) sunday church services.

The Jacobite does not hold a very good position in Francia. This is because of cultural proximity of former Castillon (current Galdero), where Jacobite-oppression was harshest, in the time before the revolution. Many southern Francian nobles, inspired by the nobles across the Pyrenees, adopted the custom and claimed Jacobite serfs of their own. Now, several centuries later, while a few Jacobites in Francia live their lives in relative luxury as noble household servants, the majority of them work in bottom-end agricultural jobs, as bondsmen or unfree peasantry, tied to the land by old feudal laws.

### Military

Francia has an expanded military tradition, and has had so for over a thousand years. The cause of this is the combination of its bountiful resources and of course, the feuding noble houses that descended upon it. While, during early antiquity, Gallia was the domain of Guivres, already during Antiquity, it was brutally conquered by Behemoth during his Roman expansion. After this, Gallia became part of a broad empire, causing mobility, and even more ‘foreign’ noble lines to settle within its borders.

For centuries upon centuries these lords and dukes waged war on eachother, often rising above their king in power until the monarchy managed to consolidate the warring dukes. This was wrought under King Philippe IV of France (nicknamed ‘Philippe le Bel’ , as he was a very handsome man) , from the domineering Behemoth House of Capet.

The Capetingians fell however, and by the time we reach early modernity, the scions of House Guivre strike back and seize the throne for their House of Bourbon. This period coincides with the ever declining puissance of the noble bloodlines as ever fewer of them are still able to wield both sword and magic like their ancestors were. Most of them now have to spend all their effort merely to keep access to their magic potential, and they have left the battlefields behind themselves. Nobility now is one of courts, “civilization” and insidious politics, in the manner of Bourbon-de-Guivre.

And while open brutality may have disappeared from High court, Francia itself remains a highly militarized nation, deriving their strength from massive land armies with extended military experience in strong collaboration with the Church (and all the necromantic benefits that holds). If the Francian armies stand united, there is no nation on Earth that can stand against them, but the problem is, these days, they rarely do.

There is an intermittent but nearly constant conflict at the Southern border, over the Pyrenee mountains against the Revolutionary Republic of Galdero, waged in the name of the King by the infamously brutal Duc d’Aquitaine, nicknamed ‘Butcher of the Pyrenees’ while often at the same time, at the other side of the nation, conflicts with the H.R.E. and /or the Merchant Republic of the Provinces are to be ‘resolved’.

When envisioning the Francian forces , this means endless regiments of linemen and musket infantry, supported by Cuirassiers, Dragoons and cannon batteries. At crucial points battle line puissance is added by including fire-wielding nobles (or stand-in war wizards) or by falling back on ‘church regiments’ , which usually means lines of undead musketmen with bayonets, goaded into battle by the Priest-knights of the Francian Order. A final, but scarce military asset the Francian nobles have fallen back upon are their contracts with the last remaining ‘Hessians’ , the ultra-elite elven ‘Chasseurs’ who , in the field of skirmish battles are said to have no equal.

While the Francian armies may stand nearly unchallenged on land, this is certainly not true for the sea. While the nation of course supports an impressive fleet, it simply cannot compete in this regard with the Avalonian fleets. The reason for this goes beyond economy and base materials alone. While the Avalonians, through their Arthurian system, have an alliance with the elves that gives them uncanny influence over the winds and seas, the Francians have no such thing. The only thing they can fall back on, are the few ‘nautical’ nobles that have found their way into the Francian power structure. And though these ‘Leviathan’ houses are called upon to govern the fleet and tend to do what they can, they are few in number while the rest of the fleet is, simply put, merely ordinary.

### Noble Families of Francia

Though at this point in history scions of pretty much every bloodline can be found in every country, some are of course more common to encounter in certain regions. Currently in Francia that means :

Most prevalent bloodlines : Guivres (in the North), Behemoth (more to the South, from Aquitaine up to Normandy)

Other bloodlines : Leviathan, Fafnir, Typhon, Culebre-in-exile