The Republic of Galbany

The Maritime Republic of Galbany or simply The Republic of Galbany is one of the richer trading nations on the continent and the only elective republic in Olios, though much of the rights of voting is reserved for the rich and upper class. The Republic of Galbany currently sits on the cost of the red sea and acts as a last stop for traders before reaching the rich lands of the inner sea, thought Galbany is in close competition with the then Duchy of Ambershire and Kingdom of Barlagola. Galbany is currently a Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic under a mercantile oligarchy that is ruled by the Doge or Duke of Galbany, the council of four, the council of 14 and the grand council of peers, made up of 41 wealthy merchant family heads that rule the nation. The current Doge is Giovano Candino and its capital id the wealthy city of Nolonia.

Galbany traces its roots to the beginner years of the first Obelian Empire, when the Empire attempted to expand south down the red sea to reach new trade routes, reaching as far as modern Galbany and building its first citys, but do to the Empires sheer size it ended up failing to effectively govern the province and left most of the work to local powerful familys, this mixed with the succession crisis that plagued the empire during the 5th century lead to the Empire pulling out of Galbany and never returning, but the people it left behind reorganized itself and created the first republic since the time 1st century.

## Culture and society

Galbany at its inception was made to act as a travel and trade hub for people passing throught the Red Sea. Merchants, sailors, and other seafarers will naturally travel through or by Galbany in their movements between the northern Inner Sea and the Red Sea corridor to the open Ocean. All sorts of commodities and valuables are traded or moved through Galbany due to its location and the local government's extremely loose restrictions on trade. One of the most profitable and common export is whiskey, spices, pepper, ivory, tea, Coco, cinnamon and silk.

Owing to the abundance of luxury goods in Galbany the rich and middle class citizens of the republic have a very high standard of living, but only for those who can afford the many available goods and services. For the poor they work hard for the rich merchants and the upper peers of the nation, working hard for the promise of wealth. This has lead to many workers to take up drinking, so much so that even the poorest of the poor get involved in massive parties, spending what little they earn for short term amusement. Being a predominantly merchant community many of the wealthy residents of Galbany own and maintain a ship and crew. The shipwrights of Galbany are renowned for their skills and craft.

## Politics

#### Succession

Galbany unlike many other nations is a Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic that is ruled by an mercantile oligarchy made up of 41 rich merchant familys called the grand council, who then elect between 14 noble peers called the peers council, and from there 4 men are chosen to run for head of state and the title Duke or as the call it Doge. The losers return to the peers council and the Doge rules til his death or if the prople wish he can be removed with a majority vote from each council.

#### The Grand Council and the Peers Council

The main goverment body of the Republic made up of 41 merchant familys and 14 peers that rule over the different citys and counties in the Republic, they act in the same way as lords do in an kingdom, ruling over citys and county councils, elected by there local councils to serve on the Grand Council and to discuss goverment issues. They agree and vote on most actions taken by the state and are tasked with voting for new peers and the a new Doge when needed. New peers are elected between themselfs and act as advisors to the Doge and possible future successors once the current one dies, retires or is voted out.