Pònaidhean

**Pònaidhean'**s ponies are happy. Content. But also decadent, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the majority of the nation's inhabitants don't realise this, or simply choose to ignore the problem. Now that the new Taoiseach has been elected, it is up to her to decide the future of the nation. Will she bring it into the modern age, or preserve its ancient traditions?

## Lore

### The Government Structure

Ponaidhean An Taigh Fada, or Ponaidhean for short, is a small nation on the eastern coast of the River Federation, consisting of small pony tribes instead of a more civilized government structure. These clans are all lead by multiple Triaths, which usually consist of important families within the tribe, though anyone can take on the clan's name and become a member should the current Triath allow it. These Triaths follow a Toisich, and both are eligible for a seat in Priomh Chomhairle, which is effectively a council of Tousichs and Triaths, and together they will elect a Taoiseach, who acts as the leader of the nation and as the protector of all the clans.

### Economic Situation

Ponaidhean's economy is agrarian, but there is also small-scale production of luxury goods such as tartan cloths, which are widely appreciated throughout the Riverlands. However, the economy is, as some would put it, backwaters or even archaic. Any real concentrated industry or infrastructure is scarce or, in some parts of the country, non-existent. The current Taoiseach Crimson wishes to modernise the country, which is a widely opposed idea. She will have to decide between going through with her plans or preserving the ancient traditions instead.

### Religion and Magic

Many ponies in the nation belong into the ranks of the Monks of Anam-Teine, who worship the Ancestors and the Mountain God in their vast and numerous mountain temples throughout the country. The magic these monks control and use is very unique, as it can be used and mastered by both pegasi and earth ponies along with unicorns. The monks teach these arts to most young colts and fillies, giving the population more understanding and knowledge regarding magic, as well as keeping good relations with the Breezies of the Otherworld, which inhabit the numerous mountainous parts of the country.

### Modern age

Now, Ponaidhean stands at a crossroads. While the inhabitants themselves are content with their ancient way of life, the outside world has not stopped to look back to the decadent nation and continues to modernise and advance day by day. Will the nation chase the advanced outside world, to stand beside them as they enter into whatever the future entails? Or will they stay in their ancient ways, content with all the things that have been gifted to them?

## Starting Situation

Ponaidhean is in a safe position, with the only neighbors that don't belong to the River Federation being the  Barrad Magocracy and  Austurland. As it is protected by its allies, these two should never pose a threat. It starts with 2 meager divisions with only medieval weapons researched, one of the divisions being a regular infantry while the other being a pegasi division. Ponaidhean starts with a reserve ponypower of 3.75K. While its divisions start out fully equipped, it has nothing in its stockpile.

## National Focus

Ponaidhean's focus tree mainly consists of reforming your economy and military, as well as the shared Federation focuses.

### Economy

Ponaidhean will have two ways of dealing with their stagnant economy. The first option is to go for Crimson's idea of Rapid Industrialisation, which will attempt to build factories and carve out resources from the mountains. This path will drop the nation's stability, but in return, it will be able to modernise its science base faster and have access to a vast amount of resources. Of course, attempting this will no doubt upset the Breezies which reside in the resource-rich mountains. Low stability during modernisation efforts will have **dire consequences**, and may even result in a **civil war**. The second option is to abandon the idea of Rapid Industrialisation and instead simply attempt to reform the current system. This path has overall weaker bonuses, but you get more stability and political power, as well as some minor bonuses to construction speed and consumer goods. Both of these paths will eventually allow you to modernise both your industrial and science base.

Since the mutually-exclusive branches in the respective trees offer different bonuses, to tell which branch is being mentioned is indicated by L (Left) or R (Right).

### Army

Ponaidhean will have two ways to reform their armed forces: either form an army of their own, using their own tactics, or call upon its allies to help reform the army. *The Native Army* path will give bonuses to recruitable population, and either attack and defense on core territory or additional ponypower, depending if they decide to keep the old ways or form the national army. The second path *Foreign Army Reformers* path will instead give bonuses to either special forces and army leaders, or research bonuses to magic and race technologies, depending if they chose to invite  Nimbusian or  Wittenland advisors. This path will also give research bonuses to tanks and motorised infantry.

### Air

Since Ponaidhean has no airforce of its own, it will have to rely on foreign imports at the start. You will have a choice between asking  Nimbusia for 25 early fighters, or  Lake City for 12 bombers. Both of these proposals can be denied, which will award you with nothing. You will then get Doctrine research bonuses and open two Aircraft design companies.

### Navy

Since Ponaidhean has no navy, it will have to rely on it's allies to help it build one. First focus will give it the technology to build early destroyers, and will attempt to purchase them from its allies. Rest of the tree will offer various research bonuses to Naval Doctrine and different ship models.

## Politics

### National Spirits

   **Treaty of Coltstream Member** | This state has signed the Treaty of Coltstream. In 898 the River Coalition was founded after an attack by the Griffon Orders was pushed back. The founding members of the treaty were Lake City, Deponya, River Republic and Nimbusia. Although the treaty has been mainly a defensive alliance since its inception, some politicians and their supporters advocate to expand the treaty to allow for more cooperation between the states of the River Coalition.

### Leaders

The Taoiseach's Coalition
After leaving the monastery to take her place as Toisiche of the Heart Clann, she became a well-respected statesmare and was later elected as Taoiseach of Pònaidhean.

### Staff and Designers

**Political Advisors**

* Infrastructure construction speed: **+10.0%**
* Refinery construction speed: **+10.0%**
 Moonsteel
* Dockyard construction speed: **+10.0%**
* AI Modifier; Focus on War Production: **+10.0%**
 Father 'Seann Tuathanach' mac Corn

**Tank Designer**

* Armour Reliability: **+5%**

**Ship Designer**

**Aircraft Designer**

* Fighter Agility: **+10%**
* Fighter Max Speed: **+10%**
* Carrier Fighter Agility: **+10%**
* Carrier Fighter Max Speed: **+10%**
 Uilepheist
* Heavy Fighter Reliability: **+20%**
* Tactical Bomber Reliability: **+20%**

**Materiel Designer**

**Industrial Concern**

**Theorist**

* Army Experience Gain: **+0.05** Daily
 Bileag Luath' mac Windsor
* Air Experience Gain: **+0.05** Daily

**Chief of Army**

* AI Modifier: Focus on Defense: **+15.0%**
 Prancy 'Cha Stad e Gàire' mac Song

**Chief of Navy**

* Capital Ship Armor: **+5.0%**
* Screen Attack: **+5.0%**
* Screen Defense: **+5.0%**
 Blue 'Beag' mac Hooves

**Chief of Airforce**

 Diùid' nic Storm

**Military High Command**

* Infantry Division Defense: **+15.0%**
 Water 'Builgeanan' nic Heart
* Screen Defense: **+15.0%**
 Red 'Mòr' mac Apple
* AI Modifier: Focus on Defense: **+15.0%**

## Economy

### Laws and Development

  Volunteer Only

* Recruitable Population: **1.50%**

* Construction Speed: **+10.00%**
* Research Speed: **+5.00%**
* Factory Output: **+10.00%**
* Dockyard Output: **+10.00%**
* Resources to Market: **+50%**
* Civilian intelligence to others: **+20.0%**
* Navy intelligence to others: **+10.0%**

* Industrial Research Speed: **+3%**
* Electronics Research Speed: **+2%**
* Consumer Goods Factories: **35.0%**
* Military to Civilian Factory conversion cost: **+30.00%**
* Civilian to Military Factory conversion cost: **+30.00%**
* Fuel Gain per Oil: **-40.00%**
* Fuel Capacity: **-25.00%**
* **Infrastructure** construction speed: **+10.00%**
* **Military Factory** construction speed: **-30.00%**
* **Civilian Factory** construction speed: **-30.00%**
 Scientific Development
  Poor Science Base

* Daily Political Power Gain: **+0.30**
* Research Speed: **-80.00%**

* Resource Gain Efficiency: **-70.00%**
* Monthly Population: **-30.0%**
* Stability: **-30.00%**
* Construction Speed: **-70.00%**
* Production Efficiency Cap: **-30.00%**
* Research Speed: **-60.00%**
* Factory Output: **-70.00%**
* Dockyard Output: **-70.00%**
* Factory Bomb Vulnerability: **-70.00%**

* Construction Speed: **-20.00%**
 Poverty
  Negligible Poverty

* No penalties

* Uses Pony Racial Tree

### Industry and Resources

Factories

Resources*\**
 0