United Provinces of Conthia

## The United Provinces of Conthia

### Overview

The United Provinces of Conthia is a collection of provinces and cities located at the south eastern tip of Ferra. The Nation is governed through a council of supposed equals but it is clear to all that the representatives of the three largest cities of Luceria, Portus Adurni and Portus Namnetus, colloquially known as the Conthian Bay Masters, hold most of the influence in the nation. Without the support of at least two of these cities, nothing will happen.

### Geography

The United Provinces of Conthia are located on the Flarian Plains. In the north, the Arkaruan Pass, flanked by the Malachite Tip and Seapressed Mountain Range, forms the border to the Confederation of Haystan, a historic ally.

In the west, the border between the United Provinces and the Flarian Diarchy runs from the Malachite Tip in the north to the Needle Wood Forest in the south.

The country itself can be split into a inland region and the seaside regions.

The inland region is home to the Suli Forests and is dominated by woods, lakes, rivers and swamps. Settlements in the inland region are smaller, poorer and more isolated than their seaside opposites.

The seaside regions are formed by the bay regions of the Areagus River and the Nam's Peninsula and Adurna Peninsula. The regions envelop the Conthian Bay and the trade and communication the bay enables made the cities in the seaside regions much richer than their inland opposites.

### History

#### The era of Discovery and Settlement

The eastern Flarian Plains were a natural point of expansion for the Old Empire after they settled in the regions of the modern day Flarian Diarchy.

Here in the Suli Forests the colonists made first contact with the native lizard folk. The colonists were attacked by the natives and in the ensuing War of Suli Extermination, the Suli Tribes were utterly slaughtered. Survivors of the war would flee through the Arkaruan Pass and spread word of the newcomers to the other native tribes and kingdoms of Ferra.

After the War of Suli Extermination, the Old Empire founded many settlements around the Conthian Bay and the region quickly became the major trade hub between the Old World and Ferra. The region became the fastest growing and most prosperous of the Imperial Colonies.

#### The era of Decline

With the descent of the Stromrift, all trade with the Old World and the OId Empire vanished. The trade focused cities of the Conthian Bay immediately felt the consequences and the whole region suffered from deep and total economic collapse. Many people would flee the starving sea side towns for the plains and forests further inland, where they founded new small villages and towns.

In time new trade routes would be established, moving goods and people from the west to the north but the seaside cities would remain small towns living in the abandoned ruins of much larger cities.

#### The era of Chaos

When Redor Haystan started his rebellion in the north and decisively defeated the legions of the Imperial Colonies, the simmering unrest of the last centuries began to boil over. When Redor Haystan pushed the legions past the Arkaruan Pass and governor Auxilium Damian ordered the seaside towns to cease all trade with the rebelling cities of the newly founded Confederation of Haystan, the towns of the Conthian Bay assembled in Luceria and proclaimed their independence under the United Provinces of Conthia.

With the help of Redor Haystan, the Conthians pushed the remaining legions out of the eastern Flarian Plains. The representatives of the United Provinces of Conthia and Redor Haystan would then meet in the newly christened capital of Luceria, where the assembled Conthians named Redor Haystan "Liberator of the Conthians" and singed the "Lucerian Accords", formulizing the alliance between Conthia and the Confederation of Haystan.

#### The era of Tranquillity

With the end of large scale conflict in the east and south of Ferra, the seaside towns of Conthia experienced a staggering increase in prosperity and wealth. Trade routs expanded to connect most of Ferra and due to the south's and east's relatively higher development, most of the trade ran along the south and east of the continent and the United Provinces of Conthia with their ideal location and large mercantile navy could extract unimaginable wealth in trade tolls and docking fees. Conthian coins have travelled across the continent and due to their quality, became the standard other coins were measured by.

#### The era of Unrest

Despite the unrest and conflict in the rest of the continent, the united provinces continued their prosperity, shipping goods from coast to coast. However, with both its neighbour states suffering from internal unrest and the Laurian Empire excreting more influence on its ports and how trade is conducted, Conthias prosperity and security are tentative.

On top of that the divide between the seaside and inland towns is growing bigger and bigger. Some inland towns are demanding reforms and more investment in infrastructure to connect the poorer inland with the profitable trade hubs, while others have gone silent, its representatives not appearing in the halls of Government in Luceria and the representatives of the government in Luceria never returning.