Principality of Suezi

**Population**: Population: 87% Westrasi Humans, 3% giants, 10% Halflings (both nonhuman races are assimilated remnants of old empire slaves)

**Capital** : Suezi

**Goverment**: Absolute Monarchy, with fundaments on bureaucracy not nobility.

“Wear your words like long shining coat to blind your enemies, and be always ready to put long knife from underneath” – Astrator, self proclaimed tetratch-heir of old westrasian empire.

Culture: While similar in culture to their southern neighbors, because of shared historical heritage, Suezians recently experienced remergence of their culture before collapse of old empire. Dignified, pious, and disciplined are words that can describe this both new and old kind of westrasi man.

Religion: Principality has no official religion, to reflect empire it tries to recreate, even though most of population follows the Church of Divine Duality. It’s one of few nations on continent that permit not only different religions, but also atheism.

Organization: Since old duke founded principality 100 years ago, it was always monarchy, based on military administration. As person joins legion, they become part of administration. As person grows in rank, they are assigned cities, provinces and more, along with divisions in legions, and legions itself. Capital city itself is where biggest army is always ready to curb any political opponents that could try to destabilize regime of Astrator.

Origin: While city of Suezi exists since beginning of old empire, only in last century it grown in prominence. Old duke Commustus, then just doge of city, founded his own nation throught war. First civil war against his opposition that ended in 4900, and after that just war. He fought surrounding cities first, then confederations of cities, and destroyed tribe after tribe. When he died in 4958 at age of 90, he united only half of what is principality now, but he did so truly. He was father of new nation, and he left it to his sons. 4 Devils they were called because they plunged new state into civil war that lasted 32 years. In 4990 Astrator, son of one of devils united broken nation once again, but his ambition was ever growing. He declared himself tetrarch-heir (tetratch was emperor title during times of old empire), and thus declared his ambition to once again unite westrasi sea. Most think him a madman, but in just 10 years he destroyed all his enemies, and now looks south on city-states and their lucrative trade routes that need change in management.

**Diplomacy**: Militaristic by design, people of Suezi have little time for diplomacy, and no friends, because as they see it, everyone around them is enemy, usurper, or both. Thats why, when they have to end up creating pacts, they are always willing to end them in blink of the eye. Their greatest enemies are city-states to the south.

**Geography**: The land is in south mostly arid, rocky hillsides not good for growing much besides grapes and olives. In north thought, fertile farms and deep forests are very frequent, and create picturesque landscape.

**Economy**: Mayority of country economy is geared towards war, and so large manufactures of weapon and armorsmiths are much more common than in neighboring countries, but that could be said also about industry in general. From agricultural standpoint, large amounts of wine, olives and grain are produced every year, and (even thought army confiscates its share of every harvest) brings large profits for landowners.

Principality of Suezi - Additional notes

Recent events:

4958 - Beggining of civil war between sons of Old Duke Commustus, Principality split in four between Sonstantinus, Majsarus, Commustus the second and Palagalus.

4967 - Due to devastation of country caused by civil war, City of Talassa declares independence from all sides, trying to recreate state that existed before its conquest by Commustus, refusing invitation to join union with from Veranesse Leauge.

4968 - Last forces of Commustus II are destroyed, he tries to escape the country by boat with his family and closest advisors, ship gets set ablaze by assasins.

4978 - Both Palagalus and Majsarus die on field of battle fighting each other. Their sons take power over lands of their fathers.

4986 - Repetive raids by vorioi that happned since beggining of war end in full blown invasion, during which dies son of Palaginus. To this day political enemies of Astrator acuse him of paying Vorioi to do so, and then assasinating chiefs he entered pacts with, but no proof for such activity ever sufraced.

4990, early - Sonstantinus dies poisoned. His only son Astrator crowns himself Prince of Suezi, even thought city itself is held by rival forces of son of Majsarus .

4990, late - Astrator begins his campaing against Majsarus, atacks city of Suezi, and storms it after four months of siege, killing his enemy, and uniting nation. Very next day he declares Suezi secular nation, and confiscates church of Divine Duality lands.

4991, early - Prince starts reformation of army and administration.

4991, late- Prince stops confiscation of land unfinished, and restores relations with church, but keeps separation of state and religion.

4992 - Prince attacks Talassa city-state, conquers and sacks it, inviting veterans of civil wawr to settle on conquered land. Using captured gold he starts creation of landforts along sealine, to make hostile landfall almost imposible, and encircles Suezi with four sets of giant brick walls, and two moats.

4994 - Astrator names himself Tetrarch Heir of Empire of Verani empire, and annouces his ambition to unite all land that was once belonging to this monolith. He also finishes reformation of army, and leading his legions attacks tribes surounding Buraga city, and integrates them to principality.

4995 - Suezi attacks wildlands to the north of its border, defeats tribes living there, and creates collony of Marcosa. Next Astrator leads his forces to Semenza, but nobility of this city peacefully allows annexation of it, and because of this city is not sacked.

4996-7 - Suezi prepares to attack voroi tribelands, but due to coalition forces stopping invasion before it could happen, Princedom does not push north.

4998 - Astrator wife births his son, who gets named after his father. Princedom in secret starts preparation to attack Veranese Citystates.

4999 - New source of gold is found near city of Vixel. Geologists assume this could be one of greatest motherlodes of this mineral arround the sea. Prince already used funds from it to expand his army, and further invest into standarization of equipment, and technological advancment in field of warfare.

**Player Character Notes**

The Suezians come from a young nation formed by those who seek to reestablish the long lost Verani Empire.  Whether a particular Suezian player character agrees with these ideals or not, they will find themselves encountering a certain amount of distrust from those who are worried they may achieve this goal, particularly those of the Veranese Citystates, who the Suezi are often at war with.