United Merion

United Merion, also colloquially known simply as Merion, is a country and the setting of *All My Wicked Nephews Crave the Throne*. To the country's east, southwest, and southeast are the land borders of Longmarsh, The Patreon Desert, and the unnamed forest of the Ides, respectively. The country is also enclosed by water borders, with the Wax to the south, the Wane to the north, Mudgulf to the northeast, and the Ocean Contested to the west.

## Geography

United Merion is made up of thirteen distinct regions. The regions are, in roughly north to south Order:

* Ashervale

* Bronzeclaw
* Heartsplain and Shelf
* The Clifflands
* The Towerlands
* The Western Marks
* Closethrone and Wick (The Capital)
* The Eastern Marks
* Starry Mark
* Doublecrown and Red Hills
* The Magewood

### Landscape

United Merion's landscape primarily consists of low hills and plains, with uplands, mountains, and forested terrain found in separate, individual areas. Specific areas of the country have drastically different landscapes compared to the rest, such as the mountains of the Clifflands, the desne forest of the Magewood, or the sand of the Patreon Desert.

### Climate

United Merion has a humid, continental climate, and typically experiences warm summers and cold winters. The temperature, on average, ranges from 70-80 °F (21-27 °C) in the summer to below 14 °F (-10 °C) in the winter. Regions to the south, such as Starry Mark or Doublecrown and Red Hills, typically have an increased tempreatures throughout the year, while regions to the north, such as Bronzeclaw or Heatsplain and Shelf, typically have lower average temperatures year-round.

## Government

### The Monarchy

United Merion is a monarchy. It is currently, and always previously, ruled by the House of Candlebrook. A single sovereign, either the king or queen, acts as the head of government and wields absolute authority and power in the country. However, the monarch is typically advised by trusted individuals. The monarch's main advisors are the leader of the Six-Sided Church, the Lords and Lady of the "Big Three" Twelvescore Houses (Houses Wing, Illwoll, and Golscat), and the Council of Graces, via the Speaker of the Council.

The monarch rules for life, or until abdication of the throne. Upon the loss of a monarch, either through death or abdication, a new monarch is selected by the Council of Graces following the line of succession. The current monarch of United Merion is King Colin I.

### The Council of Graces

The Council of Graces is the major governing body of Merion for kingdom-wide matters. The Council contains around forty-eight members at any given time, each one typically serving for life, although retirement is common. The makeup of councilmember seats is typically comprised of approximately one-third Candlebrooks, one-third members of the "Big Three" Houses (with members of House Golscat being the most populous of this third), and one-third extraordinary nobles who are not in line to inherit the rule of their house; Twelvescore Lords and Ladies are banned from serving on the Council. Additionally, over half of the councilmembers at any one time are also Knights of the Gardens, meaning they studied at more than one of the Knight Academes of Merion. By design, there is no formal leader of the Council, but there is an elected Speaker of the Council who serves to relay the councils views, discussion, and advise to the monarch. This speaker is traditionally, but not always, a member of House Wing.

### The Twelvescore Enobled

The Twelvescore Enobled are the nobility of United Merion. As their name indicates, there are currently two-hundred and forty noble houses in United Merion. Each house is led by a lord or lady who acts as the ultimate authority over matters regarding the house. Following the removal of a head of house, usually through death, control of the house falls to their heir. Lines of succession among the noble houses is similar to that of the Candlebrooks with the exception that noble houses, on average, are solely patrilineal or matrilineal and do not change which gender is the heir apparent. Each house controls an estate (including a castle or collection of country homes, towns, lands, and peasantry sworn to serve the house) granted to them, along with their noble title, by the Throne. In exchange, the Twelvescore Enobled are beholden to the monarch.

Three houses, House Wing, House Illwoll, and House Golscat, despite officially being equal in power and authority to the other noble houses, are considered to be an extension of House Candlebrook and are tasked with activities of importance far higher than that of the average house.

## Merionese Calendar

A few centuries ago, the Candlebrooks undertook an effort to standardize the names of months (called "Moons") across the realm. In a bit of patriotic fervor, and in order to celebrate their consolidations of the frontiers, it was decided that the twelve months/Moons of the year would, with some exceptions, be named after the major regions of the Realm. Each Moon is also associated with a certain flora or fauna, similar to real-life birthstones.

The months/Moons and their associated flora/fauna are, in order from the beginning of the year, as follows:

1. Bronzemoon - Associated with the Sabretooth Tiger
2. Shelfmoon - Associated with the Stallion
3. Towermoon - Associated with the Marshflower
4. Heartsmoon - Associated with the Ox
5. Cliffsmoon - Associated with the Bear
6. Marksmoon - Associated with the Chamrosh in the Western Marks, the Wurm in the Eastern Marks, and the Orca in Starry Mark
7. Wicksmoon - Associated with the Candle
8. Crownsmoon - Associated with the Dolphin
9. Redmoon - Associated with the Rabbit
10. Magemoon - Associated with the Fox
11. Ashmoon - Associated with the Deer
12. Esper's Moon - Associated with the Albatross

### Holidays

United Merion celebrates four major holidays over the course of the year, each one taking place on one of the seasonal equinoxes and solstices (the Vernal Equinox on the twentieth of Towermoon, the Summer Solstice on the twenty-first of Marksmoon, the Atumnal Equinox on the twenty-second of Redmoon, and the Winter Solstice on the twenty-first of Esper's Moon). The celebration of each holiday effectively lasts for a full twenty-four hours, and each one is comparable to a real life holiday or combination of holidays (Earth Day/Easter, Mardis Gras, Thanksgiving/Christmas, and Halloween, in order from the beginning of the year).

## The Knights of Merion

The Knights of Merion comprise four distinct orders of individuals, both men and women, who have earned the title of Knighthoodfollowing their training and education at one of the Knightly Academes of Merion. Each of the four orders is named after and associated with a classical element: the Knightly Order of Air, the Knightly Order of Fire, the Knightly Order of Water, and the Knightly Order of Earth. Despite bits of peasant-level lore to the contrary, Knights do not enjoy any sort of supernatural powers related to their assigned element. The Knights are primarily loyal to their personal House, and to the Candlebrook Throne; however, they are also loyal to their specific Order and Academe, and to
 the ideals of Elemental Knighthood as a whole.

## Religion

The official religion of United Merion is the Church of the Six-Sided Die. The religion is atheistic, and it is designed to be inclusive and work in conjunction with most belief systems and religious practices. The Church's main goal is to consolidate religious power with the monarch, who also acts as the head of the Church. The opening verses of the Six-Sided Church's holy book, The Instructions, sum up the main six tenets of the religion.

1. The fates have no memory.
2. The fates do not care about the past.
3. The past is over.
4. The fates care about their six-sided nature.
5. All six sides are equal.
6. All six sides are not equal.

Additionally, The Church recognizes six paths that make up all existence. The paths are, in ascending order of importance,

1. Self of Mind/Ego and Ambition
2. Self of Body/Physicality
3. Academia
4. Civilization, Law, Morality, Religion, and the Monarchy
5. Nature and the Natural World
6. Grace

The paths are furthered separated into two halves. The lower three paths are thought to be easily experienced by any human while the higher three paths are viewed as immutable and thus give life true meaning.

## Relations with Foreign Powers

### Barande

Due to cultural differences and historical conflicts, as well as both nations' inability to successfully move an army through the Patreon Desert, United Merion and its southwestern neighbor Barande exist in a state of political tension. The two nations primarily interact through trade, increasingly during the reign of King Lawrence XII, due to a mutual desire for each others exports, such as the Merionese desire for Barandean silk, rubber, and ores not native to Merion. This trade primarily occurs in Doublecrown (which is under joint rule by both United Merion and Barande but de facto controlled by the Candlebrooks) and Red Hills. This has led to a combination of the two cultures in these regions. However, despite a "friendship" that has supposedly grown between the nations, Barande's openness about its goal of conquering the continent has kept relations strained.

### The League of the Palisades

Following the fall of the Old Throne and the rise of the House of Candlebrook as a political entity separate from the League of the Palisades, relations between the political bodies have been, and remain, strained. While the League remains one of United Merion's largest trading partners (only recently being supplanted by Barande during the reign of King Lawrence XII) and genetic similarities between the Merionese and Palisade citizens have led to similar cultures, the League of the Palisades is known to hold a grudge and pure hatred of United Merion regarding its departure from what eventually became the League during the time of the Old Throne. Despite this, United Merion and the League maintain a wary alliance.

### The Birchcrown and Ides

United Merion and the Birchcrown Ides are in a perpetual state of conflict. Led by House Illwoll, Merionese forces are constantly on alert along the "Nine Fires" (heavily fortified towers) at the edge of the battlefield known as "The Joust" located to the north of the Magewood. Despite the Birchcrown's advanced technology, House Illwoll has managed to keep them at bay. Diplomatic missions to the Birchcrown, when attempted, have always yielded disappointing and gory results for United Merion. It is the opinion of both United Merion and its citizens that the Birchcrown are, quite simply, pure evil.

Ides not associated with the Birchcrown are mostly ignored as a political body by United Merion. A number of attempts have been made to better learn about the Ides culture, political situation, or primary location of residence, if such a place exists, but none yielded any significant information. Thus, as the Ides are not seen as a threat or a potential trading partner, United Merion mostly leave them be. However, due to the situation with the Birchcrown, it is common for Merionese to distrust any Ide, regardless of whether or not they are a member of the Birchcrown, solely because of their race.

### The Dawnerland Empire

Like most nations, United Merion keeps a watchful eye on The Dawnerland Empire. As the largest and most powerful political entity in the known world, The Dawnerland Empire's ability to conquer United Merion, as well as the rest of the continent, is well known; it is assumed that only the combined forces of United Merion, Barande, and the League of Palisades could stand a chance against the Dawnerlands. However, the Dawnerland Empire has shown no sign of expanding or interest in conquering new territory and mostly keeps to itself. Trade between the Dawnerlands and United Merion is minimal, and the political relationship is, in general, a neutral and uneventful one. Despite this, United Merion continues to count the Dawnerland Empire as a possible threat.