Volanil

## Summary

The country/continent you live in.

Roughly half again the landmass of Alaska, Volanil was created out of a supervolcano which had been continuously erupting for all of known history, until famous historic figure Molstegrov, human and disgraced King of the northern human kingdom of Aranor, stopped the lava flow and became ruler of what would become the richest resource-filled continent in the known world.

Common features of Volanil include unnaturally fertile soil, common metal and gem deposits, and frequent hot springs and volcanic steam vents. Most settlements were built around a hot spring or heat vent, particularly those in the cold south, but if not, there usually isn't one farther than a day's travel.

Gems are cheaper than usual in Volanil, and quarried rock like marble is much more expensive. Arrowheads and daggers that aren't cheaply handmade from whatever is lying around are typically crafted from obsidian, and the royal family owns and uses diamond-encrusted armor for themselves and for their elite guard. It doesn't look as brilliant as one might expect, but it is far more practical.

## Regions and Government

What makes Volanil distinct from the other nations of the world is its unique style of government. It has a monarchy--of that there can be no doubt--and the line of succession is strict. Only direct blood descendants of the First King Molstegrov can hold the throne; no spouses or spousal nephews or stepchildren. A King's bastard will take the throne long before that king's Queen ever could.

In addition to the strict monarchy, however, there is something of an electorate. There are many unclaimed areas in Volanil, and in no way does the throne take personal claim to them, though it's generally understood that everything on the massive island is under the throne's jurisdiction by default. Settlements set their own boundaries, and have no strict definitions; a settlement can be anything from a single hut to an entire city.

The kingdom is divided into geographical Valleys. This is a touch misleading, because a Valley might or might not be an actual valley, but regardless these areas are obvious and very geographical. It's often easy to know the boundaries of a Valley without consulting a royal representative.

Taxes must be levied, and will be collected by aptly-named traveling Collectors, who are often personally loyal to the throne and masters at combat, as well as nearly never being alone. If settlers within certain Valleys want a say in what these taxes are and what they're used for, they elect non-titled representatives according to their own devices and convene them at Valley Meets. The people at these meets elect one Vallor to represent them.

Technically, anyone can go to Valley Meets, although it is limited to one per settlement. This means that one hermit who lives alone in the woods can attend a Valley Meet as the representative for his settlement. He can even be elected Vallor and all the way up the chain, although I imagine this would cut into his hermitting time somewhat.

Valleys are grouped together geographically into Versants. Vallors meet at Versant Meets to elect Versors.

Versants are grouped geographically into Peaks. There are five Peaks in Volanil; one for each quadrant of the kingdom, and one for Volan Mountain, the tallest and largest mountain in the kingdom, at the peak of which rests Molsten itself. at Peak Councils, Versors elect a Mount. These five Mounts meet with the King and create legislation.

The downside of all this is that because these titles stack, Mounts have more work in front of them than even the King. The King only has to attend to Royal Council a few times a year, whereas Mounts must attend the Royal Council, Peak Council, Versant Meets, and Valley Meets. Some meetings can be missed, but for the most part, they really shouldn't.

Electorate styles are individualized to region due to custom or majority rule, and so long as there aren't disputes, aren't mediated at all by the throne.

People are almost always referred to by their most prominent title.

## Population

Due to its fairly recent creation and discovery (roughly 150 years), Volanil is, unlike the rest of the known world, a melting-pot of creature and culture, as it universally drew forth anyone looking to make a fresh start for themselves. It might be common in Volanil to see a dragonborn sharing a bed with an elf, or a gnome laughing with a half-orc and a human at a pub table, which can result in severe culture shock from foreigners.

Volanil being a relatively new country with many natural resources, the population is relatively average, a little more populous in some areas and less in others. Overall, the country has a lower population than other places, but sometimes it feels like it has more.

The largest city in Volanil, Molsten, boasts over ten thousand inhabitants. The second largest city, Elvenport, has north of four thousand. Other cities beyond those lie in resource-filled areas such as along rivers or on the ocean, and near the Volanil hot springs that pop up every so often, and these are usually about a thousand or two thousand people.

Most towns beyond these collectives are smallish in number, but average in terms of Volanil size. They fluctuate wildly but are usually anywhere from three to five hundred people. There are some small towns with less than a hundred people, and some graduated campsites with less than fifty. There are also many homesteads where individuals have staked their claims, with or without legal authority.

Still at least a quarter of Volanil has as of yet gone unsettled and partially unexplored.

## Environment

Volanil is extremely lush, formed out of rich igneous soil. There are four mountain peaks, each of which is the capitol and namesake of a Peak. The exception to this is Loden (colloquially "the wild Peak"), which is the least explored of the five and comprised primarily of the Rider's Bane wildwood. Not having a mountain peak of its own, the capitol of Loden is Elvenport.

70% of stone buildings in Volanil are made of a black stone that can be polished to a reflective sheen reminiscent of obsidian.

The islands south of Volanil are extremely cold due to their proximity to the Antarctic, but several of the larger ones are host to hot springs that allow oasial growth and small settlements.

Volanil itself is cold in the south and gets warmer as you go north. Most of the small continent is resplendent with fast-growing plants and robust trees, thanks to the unusually fertile soil. All throughout the land are frequent pockets of hot springs or volcanic vents offering warmth and sometimes power. Of most places in which you can find yourself in Volanil, there is usually a hot spring or heat vent no more than a day away, sometimes less than half. The frequency of these increase as you approach Molsten, which boasts three distinct springs and a couple vents all on its own.

On the north end of Volanil, the warmest it gets is a moist warmth in the summer and sunny days in winter where it doesn’t snow very often. It snows all over the kingdom, but rarely touches the ground as snow in Molsten and near hot springs. It rains off and on all year except when you get north of the Cliffs, where it rains only in fall and winter, and very rarely otherwise, though it is often humid.

## Economics

Obsidian, gold, and industrial metals, as well as all kinds of gems, are very common in Volanil, which means they’re only slightly less expensive than usual—rich monopolies control all the mining operations, and most gems are shipped out (particularly to the human kingdoms). The rest are sold overpriced for the cost of gathering, but still cheaper than abroad.

Molsten is the only producer in the world of Volantia, a magic type of volcanic rock.

The currency is typical to 5e mechanics. Coins are all imprinted with various members of the First Royal Family of Volanil.

Taxes are levied by headcount. The Collectors need a specific amount of tax based on population. They travel to all Valley Meets to collect this, and expect not only an updated and truthful headcount of Valley settlers (collected on paper through personal insignia), but also an amount of taxed money equal to that per capita cost. If the representatives at the Valley Meets couldn't collect taxes enough to cover everyone, they must tell the Collectors which settlements they haven't covered. This isn't done too often, as Collectors can be brutal when they're being slowed down by trying to track down tax evaders.

What's done more often is persons or settlements that are not represented in Valley Meets, not counted in the official census, and completely overlooked by taxes. These settlements have no say in government, do not benefit from governmental programs (such as they exist), and cannot engage in trade beyond subsistence goods (meat, furs, lumber, etc.)

People who do not have a steady/primary home, don't wish to be associated with a settlement, or for whatever reason was unable to sign their settlement's population list, can locate any Collector (not just the one assigned to their Peak/Versant) directly to sign a separate population list. For the cost of the per-capita tax, they can register as a nomad for a limited access to governmental systems. Nomads technically get less benefit than settlers, but at least they are allowed to engage in trade.

## Justice

Settlers who cannot keep their own peace can bring specific cases to Valley Meets to be discussed. These Valley Meets must close the matter, typicaly presided over by their Vallors. This tends to be fairly straightforward, if it's an issue confined to the boundaries of a single Valley. Inter-jurisdictional issues must be seen to by the level at which they interlock (cross-Valley issues must be seen to by a Versant Meet, cross-Versant ones by a Peak Council). The wronged parties are encouraged to attend these personally, but more likely, a proxy is signed and given to a wordier citizen to fight for their side of the argument. This person needs not come from the same Peak, let alone settlement, so long as they have a signed proxy.

Issues which cannot be resolved by one of these groups (most usually, intra-Valley disputes about Vallor elections, for example) must be seen to by impartial Royal Judiciars. They are very expensive, and their decisions are final. Judiciars can't make or implement any laws directly, but when entered into a Judicial Contract (which must be signed by a majority of Meet parties), they can 'decide' the solution of *any* intra-meet arguments.