Republic of Brynsia

The **Republic of Brynsia** is a nation in southeast Eukitia. It is dominated by swamplands and jungles, with the Fairlaw River flowing through the middle of the nation. It borders Rha and the Gold Plains Kingdom to the north, Abaldegia to the west, and Marland to the east. It is ruled by the thirteen Orders of Clockwork Knights, powerful military organizations made up of artificers that build and field Siegewright war machines to defend the borders of Brynsia. Outside of the ruling class, Brynsia is largely agrarian, many families leading simple lives of farming.

## Geography

Much of Brynsia is covered in swampland and jungle, making manuevering by typical means fairly difficult. As a result, many villages have ranches that raise knuckle-horses that the population uses as mounts. Most villages and towns are constructed in clusters, making use of the land that is available and has hard land to build foundations on. Fortunately, the land across Brynsia is relatively fertile, as a result of subterranean Earth-aspected Focus currents flowing through the land below. The coast of Brynsia is difficult for the natives of the land to access - it is primarily rocky and sheer cliffs, due to a portion of the land collapsing into the sea during the Draconic Cataclysm. There are a few ports here and there where the sea can be accessed, however the ocean is not nearly as accessible from Brynsia than it would be in the Matepieds. North of Brynsia lays the Cappellan Mountains, a small mountain range that are more akin to large rocky hills and home to Union.

The country is largely rural, with only thirteen city-sized settlements within its borders. These cities are known as *collegiums*, due to each being constructed around a organization of clockwork knights. Each collegium forms the center of it's feudal territory, with multiple clusters of villages and towns surrounding them.

## Government

The Brynsian government is a strange form of feudal republic. Originally ruled under a king, the nation was overthrown by the thirteen orders of clockwork knights, and the knights enforced themselves as rulers of the nation. Each order rules over their collegium and surrounding territories, taking taxes from the locals and governing the area. The orders each elect a Lord Commander, a member of their ranks who rules for life, only being replaced upon their death or retirement. These Lord Commanders, in turn, gather yearly at Brynnia and elect a Marquess Commander from themselves, who acts as the head of state. The Marquess Commander and the Lord Commanders then make decisions about the state of the nation once yearly, and then as required for specific situations.

## Trade

Brynsia typically exports the many agricultural supplies their nation produces. Barley and cranberries are the two primary exports of the nation, however wool is also produced from some farms in certain towns across the nation. Clay is abundant in Brynsia, so pots and cutlery is produced as well. Typically, metals and mineral resources like coal, steel, and gold are shipped in from overseas in order to permit Brynsian artisans and blacksmiths to produce their goods, as mining in the waterlogged ground of Brynsia is difficult in many locations and the country cannot produce enough iron for their needs, especially with the exhaustive maintenance of siegewrights. Hardwoods are often shipped from other nations as well, as many of the native Brynsian trees are actually hollow, storing water in their cores not unlike a cactus - a holdover from before the Draconic Cataclysm, when Brynsia was much more dry.

## Culture

Brynsian culture is relatively agrarian and relaxed. Most of Brynsia's population are farmers and related occupations, living in small villages and producing food, the majority of which is taxed by their local collegium, leaving them with little gold in their pockets. Despite this, Brynsian farmers live very fulfilling and enjoyable lives. They enjoy relative freedom with little encroachment from their government, so long as they are able to provide their taxes and do not interfere with the goals of the clockwork knights. They often have large families, and hold community and religion close to the centers of their lives. Education is typically forgone in preference of more practical knowledge and practice in farming, fishing, hunting, and crafting. Brynsians will often help others in their villages or even neighboring towns if they have the means to, even when offered little rewards.

In collegiums, however, Brynsian life is quite different. Regularly patrolled by the clockwork knights and tightly controlled, the lives of those merchants and artisians living in collegiums are kept on relatively strict schedules. They must pay much higher taxes than the farmers in the countryside, often in the form of actual gold coinage rather than goods and supplies. Typically, punishments are doled out to citizens of collegiums who voice skepticism of the local order of clockwork knights. This leads to two factions among most collegiums - those who see the clockwork knights as tyrants and oppressors but stay silent, and a vocal minority who truly espouse and believe that the clockwork knights are true benefactors of their nation.

### Religious Divides

Brynsia faces significant religious divides among it's population. The southern Brynsians tend to believe in Elven Angelicism, whereas those in the north tend to practice Portuzism. This religious divide creates tension between both groups in the country, with both forms of religion being historically at odds with one another. This reflects the religious fundamentalism that much of Brynsia holds dear, collegiums and villages both butting heads with those of the opposing religion. While these conflicts seldom turn into actionable violence, the seething spite of each side burns beneath the surface.

### Clockwork Knights

The clockwork knights are the thirteen organizations of artificers that make up the ruling class of Brynsia. Formed from the various collegiums of the nation, the clockwork knights are each well known for their use of siegewrights - large, mechanical and magical suits of armor that allow the pilots to act as devastating warriors in battle. These thirteen knightly orders act as feudal leaders of Brynsia, each knight recruited at a young age from various sources - ranging from locals who showed bravery or prowess in the magical or martial arts, to nepotistic choices from existing knights' families. Clockwork knights range from being kind and understanding, to cruel and tyrannical, and each has their own reason for continuing to serve the order - or sometimes splitting off and choosing lives of adventure.

The clockwork knights originated as defenders of Brynsia following invasions from Orkfeld from various tribes around 200 3E. Following their successful defense of the nation, the knights were granted land from the at-the-time ruling king. As time went on, however, the knights grew in political power, eventually ousting the royal family from Brynsia and taking joint control of the nation. Each order is headed by a Lord Commander, elected by the clockwork knights to lead them until the Lord Commander dies or retires, when a new one will be chosen.

#### List of Knightly Orders of Clockwork Knights

* **Moonmound**, the order of the collegium of Moonmound, known for their unique crescent-shaped shields and sickles placed on their siegewrights.
* **Woudde**, the order of the collegium of Wouddetop, known for their prominent siegewright helmets that are shaped like various local animals - boars, oxen, knuckle-horses, and tree sloths.
* **Camtomp**, the order of the collegium of Brynnia, the capitol collegium of Brynsia and home of the old king's palace. They are notably the largest and most powerful of the thirteen orders.
* **Montrice**, the order of the collegium of Montrice. They are known for using their siegewrights to assist local villages with construction and herding of sheep.
* **Robinmore**, the order of the collegium of Oldwyrm. Their collegium is built into a den of a long-dead black dragon, and their siegewrights often wear dragon-inspired helmets that are capable of casting poisonous clouds as a weapon. Despite their draconic iconagraphy, the order makes a point of rooting out dragon cultists wherever they might be found across Brynsia.
* **Mosston**, the order of the collegium of Baron. Perhaps the most cruel knightly order of the thirteen, they decorate their siegewrights with gold and trinkets taken from the population.
* **Fraishu**, the order of the collegium of Treeclasp. The most recently founded knightly order, Fraishu was founded by a samurai from the Far East who travelled to Brynsia and fell in love with siegewrights. As a result, many of the members of this order decorate their siegewrights in Teshomi trappings.
* **Bougaillaine**, the order of the collegium of Lowport. Founded by an elven artificer who moved to Brynsia from Inverhond, fleeing from Angelicist inquisitors hunting them for their Portuzian beliefs. Their siegewrights often include old wood in them from old ships and docks, and incorporate damaged cannons or portholes in their armor.
* **Autumnal**, the order of the collegium of Daring. They are strongly influenced from the teachings of an immigrant from Mohaia, an eladrin artificer and adventurer who joined the order and became their Lord Commander. They paint their armor to have trappings of eladrin culture and autumn themes, and every fall hold a grand feast for all of Daring to participate in in their collegium hall, known as Autumnmeal.
* **Robertine**, the order of the collegium of Robertine. Known for equipping their siegewrights with powerful spells, magic, and gunpowder weapons, they are the premier ranged artillery experts of Brynsia.
* **Rainstar**, the order of the collegium of Rainne. They are famed for placing intricate fish-shaped sculptures upon their siegewright's shoulder paudlrons as art pieces, each holding the ashes of another knight of the order. When they themselves are felled, they are cremated and placed inside a sculpture, placed upon the newest recruit's siegewright.
* **Chalster**, the order of the collegium of Chalster. They often wield two-handed swords on their siegewrights.
* **Hamilmont**, the order of the collegium of Halmia. They often paint their siegewrights blue, and are perhaps the most politically active of the orders, seeking free will and comfort for their collegium's population.

## History

Brynsia was founded in 17 3E, and over the following decades quickly conquered and controlled nearby tribal states that were formed following the Draconic Cataclysm and the collapse of the Second Era Kingdom of Var. In the summer of 102 3E, King Mazgo II declared the Kingdom of Brynsia to be the true successor of Var, officially uniting the tribes under one banner. Following this, Brynsia found itself engaging in conflicts with the bordering fledgling nations of Marland and Rha, vying for control of resources and territory, until eventually falling into their modern borders around 330 3E following the Truce of Chalster, preventing conflict between the three nations for, as-written, 200 years - however there has not been a conflict between the nations since.

During the 200s to 260s 3E, Brynsia found itself embroiled in war against multiple orcish tribes from Orkfeld. These invasions came primarily from the southern tribes in Orkfeld, who had the means to easily pass through the (then much smaller) Rha with their raiding parties and into Brynsia and Marland. Through the decades, many of these invasions involved raiding parties from the Falseeagle, Dreadmauls, and ancestors of the Angrytitans; however, most notable was the invasion of the Tallwatch tribe. Due to the size of the Tallwatch tribes male warriors (who at this point in history stood roughly eight feet tall), it was difficult for Brynsian peasant militias to repel the invaders. However, a clever group of artificers converged and created the first siegewrights - based off of the storiies of ancient steelbound titans, they constructed their own large, piloted war machines to fight against the invasion, and succeeded in repelling the orc invaders. This was the first instance and unofficial founding of the Clockwork Knights - an order of siegewright-piloting warrior artificers.

Over the next 200 years, various orders of clockwork knights founded collegiums and established themselves within Brynsia as a powerful primary military organization, growing as they were granted land and political power above the common man. Inevitably, the knights grew more powerful than the royal family - each order combining their forces and overthrowing the kingdom in 432 3E, in an event known as *The Ousting*. Despite being spoken of in hushed whispers and fear by knights and peasants alike, it was actually a relatively peaceful transition of power from the king to the lord commanders - nary a bolt was fired as King Tryn III capitulated nearly immediately, exiling himself from the kingdom. Ever since, the lord commanders have controlled Brynsia and it's thirteen collegiums. They maintain their power through promising the people of Brynsia that they are the sole defenders of the realm - purposefully defunding the militia levies and guard forces, taking upon the duties of homeland defence and civil order in their stead, in order to justify their existence and control over the nation. Siegewrights are a common sight patrolling the streets inside collegiums, and it is not uncommon for them to venture out of their collegiums to ensure the peasants know their place.

## Plot Hooks

* An elven house plots to supplant the lord commanders of Brynsia and replacing them with their own spies, convincing the orders to focus their forces on defending the borders while secretly sowing the deaths of each lord commander from the inside. A spy, however, confessed to one of the friends he had made in the order, and that friend is now approaching the adventurers for assistance.
* A purple dragon is sending their agents to form draconic cults across Brynsia and destabilize the realm. The Order of Robinmore has fought against the cults and suppressed them where they crop up, but cannot reach the purple dragon to slay it, as to their knowledge it lies within the territory of the collegium of Chalster, but the lord commanders of both orders are feuding and refuse to let each other cross siegewrights into the other's territory. The party is approached to either slay the dragon, or find a way to end the feud.
* The Angrytitan tribe has grown restless and bold as of late, the steelbound titan they worship struggling to maintain it's intelligence due to lack of maintenance. It has instructed them to begin raiding Brynsia and attacking their siegewrights to bring back parts to repair it. The orders are struggling against this new threat, the first orcish invasion of Brynsia in hundreds of years, as the orcs fight with such zealous conviction and manage to destroy multiple siegewrights in each skirmish. The players must try to find a solution to the war.
* Religious tension has reached a new high in Brynsia. Angelicist and Portuzian tensions have erupted, and villages of differing religion have begun conflicts with one another, stealing food and killing cattle. The collegiums are in no less of a struggle, each order preparing for a holy crusade against the other side. The players must find a way to stop the conflict before it boils over into a full civil war that would engulf the land in termoil, and bring damage to the important trading ports into central Eukitia.
* Pirates have always been part of Brynsia, albeit in less numbers than the Matepieds. However, due to a plague that has ruined crops of Lowport and the surrounding villages, more peasants have begun taking up piracy, even going so far as to begin attacking ships of the Malkenian Imperium. The Malkenians have threatened to invade Brynsia if the piracy does not calm down - which would no doubt pull in surrounding Eukitian nations, and possibly lead to a devastating war of great powers. Malkenian airships have already been seen hovering a few miles off the coast. The Marquess Commander approaches the party, asking for their assistance in squashing the pirates.