Brennon

Map of Brennon

### Cities

Jeun'Deus, Zecs'Phob, Uviq'Ojda, Rivu'Gioe, Azca'Miem, Skov'Nota, Eyry'Inam, Enva'Luci

## People, Politics, and Economics

### Exports

Furnuture, tools, utensils, paintings, poems, stories, songs, livestock, seafood, scrolls, potions, books, flora, lumber, herbs, clay, ore.

## Common Knowledge

Brennon is a forest heavy nation in south-western Orelisle whose population is made up exclusively of High Elves.

The country is made up of two different areas: The small, unaffiliated territories in which High Elven city-states operate independently of one another; and the unified center region titled The Brennosian Union, which is a union of various city-states into a singular national identity.

Most interactions other countries have with Brennon are through the Brennosian Union, and it is common knowledge to traders that the High Elven citizens do not share the racial superiority complex High Elves are traditionally known for.

Brennon is a member of the United Orelisian Council.

## Topography and Climate

The topography of Brennon is flat, dense forests. The forests consist of mostly oak trees, but occasionally one will find birch tree groves. The land near the ocean is very fertile, causing lots of greenery to sprout up along the coast. The climate of Brennon is warm, but not humid.

## Population

Brennon’s population is all pure blooded High Elves.  The High Elves live in City-States built in areas of the vast forests which have been cleared out for construction. The architecture of those city states ranges greatly from simple wooden cabins and dirt roads, to brick structures with cobblestone pathways.

## Exports and Trades

Due in part to its culture, the Brennosian Union is a nation where the citizens have a variety of different occupations, the most prevalent being those which possess a guild within one of the major cities. Those are: Scholars/Historians, Artisans/Craftsmen, Mages, Merchants/Traders, Artists/Bards, and Hunters/Farmers.

This wide arrange of fields allows Brennon to produce a myriad of products for exporting and trade, including the following: Furniture, Tools, Utensils, Paintings, Poems, Stories, Songs, Livestock, Seafood, Scrolls, Potions and Books. Brennon also has a large quantity of flora to export, including a hearty supply of lumber and a variety of different herbs used for medicinal and alchemical purposes. There are also clay and ore deposits along the coast. These materials are shipped from the various guilds to a trading center on Brennon’s borders, where merchants from around Orelisle can visit and exchange goods with Brennon.

### Imports

While extremely rich in raw materials and agriculture, Brennon suffers from a lack of cultural osmosis due to 1000’s of years of borderline isolationism, which means that many of the different tools and techniques developed across Orelisle over these millenia have not fully been integrated into Brennon Society. In opening their borders to countries for trade, The Brennosian Union seeks to introduce new and advancing knowledge from other cultures into its own, allowing for the growth of itself and the nations it trades with.

### Currency

The Brennosian Union uses a unique currency known as the Brennickel, which is a coin made of either copper, silver, or gold which has the letter B engraved on it. The exchange rate for each of the Brennickel coins is the following:

* 1 Copper Brennickel = 1 Stone
* 1 Silver Brennickel = 10 Copper Brennickels = 10 Stone
* 1 Gold Brennickel = 10 Silver Brennickels = 100 Copper Brennickels/Stone.

## Government

### The Brennosian Union

There are 2 different levels of government in the Brennosian Union: City State Government and Country Government. Both consist of councils with an odd number of members, who vote on any decisions which are made. The members of these councils are rotated out every 50 years of the Brennon Calendar. The last council rotation occurred in the year 10,018 post fall of Binturia.

#### City State Governing Councils

CS Governing Councils are those which preside over one of the Brennosian Union City States. They are comprised of 5 different elected officials, each one chosen using a different method. They are:

1. A person elected by the previous council: Representation for the previous generation
2. A member of the Maker class elected by the maker class of that city state.
3. A member of the Trader class elected by the trader class of that city state.
4. A member of the Gatherer class elected by the gatherer class of that city state.
5. A person chosen via random lottery. This member is selected after all of the others, to allow for the gods to decide the best person to be the tiebreaker for the council.

In order for a person to be viable for one of these positions, they must have reached the age of maturity for High Elves. This council decides the laws and regulations for the city state they preside over, as well as approve any decisions made by that city’s major guild, should the City-State have one. This includes: Local Holidays, Education Requirements, Local Ordinances, and so on.

All decisions must be done via vote where majority rules. Council members may not abstain from voting, as ties would simply hold up the process of law making even more. If a council member is not present for any reason, no laws are decided upon that day. Instead, discussions are held regarding the current geopolitical situation, and any decisions which need to be voted  upon are lobbied for later meetings.

#### Country Governing Council

At the very top of the Brennosian Union Government is the Grand Council, a council located in the capital city-state, comprised of 7 members, each one a currently seated member of a CS Governing Council for one of the 7 Major Brennosian Union City States.This member is selected by vote amongst their respective councils, in which no councilperson can vote for themselves as the representative.

The Grand Council makes decisions regarding the economic, political, and cultural aspects of Brennon as a whole. Any law or proclamation that the Grand Council passes applies to all CS in the Brennosian Union. They are also the Council responsible for overseeing trade with other nations, as well as any sort of foreign relations meeting. The current members of the Brennosian Union Grand Council are:

* Attus Aegius: Representative and Member of the Zecs’Phob Council (Male)
	+ Was the Representative sent to negotiate trade agreements with Cathias.
	+ Has a down to earth personality.
	+ Is new to politics and thus is often cautious regarding incredibly complex political situations.
* Lifran Esquila: Representative and Member of the Uviq’Ojda Council (Male)
	+ Constantly curious, wants to know how things work and what makes people tick.
	+ Jovial and thick skinned, can easily handle people making jokes at his expense.
* Shevti Xafastor: Representative and Member of the Skov’Nota Council (Female)
	+ Proud and Clever, won’t stand for people looking down upon her because of gender or age.
	+ Doesn’t have a lot of patience for idle chatter.
	+ Used to dealing with leading squads of hunters, so she feels very comfortable being in a political situation.
* Myni Derijeri: Representative and Member of the Azca’Miem Council (Female)
	+ Bubbly and Light hearted in average situations, but is very serious when it comes to being a councilwoman, taking things very seriously if she needs to.
	+ Intelligent and thoughtful, constantly making mental observations on things she sees.
	+ To her, politics is about cooperation, so she will always try to find a middle ground with people she interacts with on the job.
* Selanar Sarkalyn: Representative and Member of the Pyry’Inam Council (Male)
	+ A good listener, eager to learn as much as he can about any given situation, just in case it becomes prevalent later.
	+ Is very fact oriented, trusting concrete information more than hunches and guesses. He is always polite when dismissing ideas he finds preposterous.
	+ Never takes charge in political situations, choosing instead to assist those more qualified for leadership.
* Gaelin Wynrel: Representative and Member of the Rivu’Gioe Council (Male)
	+ Was chosen by random lottery for his council position, and as such often doubts his skill as a councilman. Despite this, his naturally good intuition has allowed him to make positive choices during his brief run.
	+ Prefers to know all the details about something before making any action.
* Vamir Adlamin: Representative and Member of the Jeun’Deus Council (Female)
	+ A Charismatic Diplomat who is eager to prove her skill in negotiations.
	+ Loves meeting new people and making connections.
	+ Doesn’t take matters of national safety lightly.

Grand Council members are responsible for bringing issues discussed by their respective CS councils to the Grand Councils attention.

When the Grand Council needs to send members to another country for matters of foreign policy, the one chosen is usually the one whose City-State’s guild best fit the matters being discussed. More often than not, this ends up being the representative from Jeun’Deus, as it is the city where the most political activity occurs and thus is a good catch-all.

## Social Hierarchy and Culture

### The Brennosian Union

#### Religion

There are two deities in the Brennosian Union pantheon: Seira of Order and Chamenos the Chaos. Both of them are worshipped in all areas of the Brennossian Union, and are centered around the idea that the decisions of mortals are what shapes the world, for either better or worse.

* Seira:
	+ Symbol: A compass - Something which shows the way.
	+ Domain: Seira is the deity responsible for keeping the world from going completely towards destruction. When things are heading down a path to disaster, Seira will deliver onto the world the hints they need to put themselves back on the right path.
		- Seira never directly reveals herself, but instead implants ideas into the minds of mortal beings so they can lead everyone in the right direction thanks to her guidance. It is up to the mortals to whom she gifts the knowledge to decide if they want to use it or not. That way, the choices of mortals still matter.
		- Seira cannot see what the outcome of her wisdom will be. She only knows that it will end well.
	+ Responsible for: Sudden moments of inspiration

* Chamenos:
	+ Symbol: A blank map with an X in the center - Something which has no direction and allows you to choose your way.
	+ Domain: Chamenos is the deity who gives mortal kind the right to choose their own destiny. Chamenos can see all the paths of destiny at once, but he cannot interfere with them.
		- The people of Brennon believe that Chamenos prevents the gods of other cultures from manipulating the paths of destiny, acting as the guardian of free will and choice.

#### Social Hierarchy

Brennon's social structure is one based on profession, where every class has their own benefits and detriments. There isn’t truly an idea of “Higher” or “Lower”, but instead three different social designations which represent the different demographics of society. Because Brennon was founded by Slaves, the Brennosian Union wanted to ensure that no person was considered better than any other class-wise. Each group has their own benefits and detriments, and a person can be part of multiple groups at once.

First up you have the “Gatherers” comprised of the Farmers, Fishermen, and Huntsmen. Since they provide food and materials for the rest of the population, Gatherers are usually the most well fed of the populace, as they supply the food to the rest of the country and are able to take the share they need first. However, they are also usually the ones who are the least educated about the greater world as a whole, as they interact with people of other cultures the least, mostly getting their information from the occasional rumor that passes through the area.

Next up is the “Traders” which is mostly merchants, salesmen, and traveling scholars. While these are often among the wealthiest of Brennon's citizens, this does not make them any better than people from the other 2 social groups. They are also usually the most learned of Brennon’s citizens regarding other races and cultures, as they do the most interacting with them on a regular basis. However, because they are a group based on distributing the creations of others, many Traders will find a Maker to partner with in order to procure a steady supply of goods. It can be very hard to be a lone Trader in the Brennosian Union, though not impossible.

The final social group is the “Makers” consisting of artisans, artists, researchers and mages. Often times, members of this class make a living by working with other social groups. Examples of this are researchers being paid to educate, Mages being paid to do incredible feats, and Artisans giving their creations to Merchants to sell in exchange for a cut of the profits. In addition, because of the inherent structure of the guild system present in the Brennosian Union, this group is the most unified of the three social groups.

## Cities, Towns, and Villages

The Brennosian Union is comprised of 7 City-States joined together through a central government, as well as smaller towns along the roads between them. Each of the 7 City-States has its own governing council, as well as various facilities allowing it to function mostly autonomously, excluding situations where the Grand Council needs to be involved. In addition, due to the nature of the Brennosian Union’s creation, each of the 7 City-States has a designated profession or craft for which a portion of its territory is reserved specifically for. This location is where most guilds end up located, as well as special facilities dedicated to the education and innovation of those fields. It is in these designated areas where the headquarters of the council for each City-State are located. Aside from those designated areas, the City States of the Brennosian Union are fairly mundane, featuring Romanesque architecture using mostly wood and brick in its construction, with space for farmland at the edges of the City.  The 7 City-States of the Brennosian Union are:

### Jeun’Deus: The Capital City-State

The capital of the Brennosian Union, located in the very center of the country, Jeun’Deus (pronounced Jay-Un Day-Oos) is the largest of the Brennosian Union City-States in terms of square mileage. The center of this City-State is designated as the Political Territory, and is where every major political structure for the Brennosian Union is located, including the meeting place for the Grand Council.

### Zecs’Phob: The City of Trade

Trading city, located on the border of Brennon and Kuragma. Products from the other city states are transported here to be traded off to other countries. Do to the newly formed alliance with Cathias, an additional trading city is being built near the northern border of Brennon, allowing for increased trade.

### Uviq’Ojda: The City of Craftsmanship

Contains land designated for the Artisan and Smith Guilds, as well as many facilities for carpentry, blacksmithing, and other artisan professions. Outside of that area, traditional city.

### Rivu’Gioe: The City of Artistry

Contains land designated for the Art, Performance and Music Guilds, with numerous galleries and stages for people to present their creations. Outside of that area, traditional city.

### Azca’Miem: The City of Magic

Contains land designated for the Magic Guild, with special sub areas for each of the different schools of magic. Outside of that area, traditional city.

### Skov’Nota: The City of Hunting and Gathering

Contains land designated for the Hunting, Fishing, and Agriculture Guilds, although most of those activities are performed outside the walls of the city itself in the wilderness surrounding it. Outside of that area, traditional city.

### Pyry’Inam: The City of Knowledge

Contains land designated for a myriad of different archives, containing information from all across the Brennosian Union, as well as academies for people who wish to know more about the world. Outside of that area, traditional city.

### Enva’luci: The Hidden City of Magic

A city specializing in magic, like Azca’Miem, but is not a member of the Brennosian Union. Enva’luci is concealed by numerous magic wards, illusions, and leylines that prevent its detection and infiltration.

## Alliances

Spring 10,019: Brennon entered an alliance with the country of Cathias, which included trade agreements between the two nations.

Spring 10,019: Brennon joins the United Orelisian Council.

## Enemy Countries

Brennon is currently in a very unstable situation with Kuragma, due to the attack against Eirene around 35 years ago and the attempted assassination of King Thanatos.

## Founding and History

### The Beginning: First Colonization of Brennon

The first High Elves to occupy Brennon were mostly rich business owners, their husbands and/or wives, and their numerous High Elf servants. While much of why they came to Brennon is lost to history, the generally accepted theory is that these noble and wealthy elves were disgusted by the actions of High Elves who associated themselves with the “Unclean Races[1]” and “Beastial Freaks[2]”. These High Elf aristocrats clearly thought themselves too important and influential for the common man, and as such used their vast stores of wealth to travel to the southwestern tip of the continent. When they arrived, the caravan of Elves had stumbled upon magnificent forest full of incredibly fertile soil. It was there that the nobles decided to start up a new society, only for elite like themselves. They ordered their servants to chop down multiple acres of trees, and construction of the first ‘Brennon’ City began.

It took 4 years to fully construct the mid-sized city, which was christened “Hela’grush”. The city was constructed in the shape of a large circle, and its breakdown went as follows: The high-class residents (i.e. the nobles who owned the caravan originally) lived within the center of the city, which took up 1/5 of its total area. Just one look at the lavish abodes and a person could tell that the living quarters for the upper class were what had taken up most of the time constructing the town. They were all 3 or 4 stories tall, made of exotic woods, and in rare instances, hardened clay bricks. The other 4/5 of the city area surrounded the High-Class district and were where most of the common folk lived and worked. Even though the common folk did the entirety of the work constructing all the houses and paving the roads for horses to travel, anyone not rich enough to live in the center of Hela’grush was forced to sleep in a broken-down shack of a house. The houses in the center had taken so many materials to make that anything else had to be constructed with minimum materials as a cost saving measure. Many servant families spent so much of the day working that they had no time to feed themselves and were forced to get by on the scraps left over by the rich. Anything above average that they obtained from growing crops and raising farm animals was immediately taken away by one of the overseers hired by the upper class to make sure they got all the best crops and meat. In short, the early years of Hela’grush life (which lasted for 100 years) were incredibly hard on the servant population of the city.

### The Revolution: Brennos and the Peaceful Solution.

The following question definitely occurred to you: “Why didn’t the lower class High Elves just revolt? How could they take being treated so badly?” The answer is quite simple: All of the High Elves who came into Hela’grush as servants had been accustomed to being treated like that for a long time[3]. Before the creation of a “Purely High Elf Country”, it was a common mindset amongst H.E servants that being a servant was still better than being a non-high elf. So ingrained into their subconscious was this concept that none of the original Brennon colonists even considered that they were being treated so badly. For them, being denounced as a High Elf was even worse than death[4]. However, there was an unexpected change in societal hierarchy once the next generation of High Elves was born in Hela’grush. As these children had no exposure to other races during their youth, the natural “High Elf Pride” which manifested within them had to find another outlet to express superiority. As a result, many of the young servant High Elves began to complain about the unfair conditions they were living in. Their mentality was that since the working class did all the manual labor within Hela’grush, they should rightfully be the ones gaining all the benefits. As this generation grew, many of the High Elf workers began to protest the corrupt upper class within Hela’grush. However, their desperate cries made no difference, as their parents continued to work day and night for their masters. When the 2nd Generation questioned their parents about this, the response they got was something along the lines of: Even if we tried to fight back, the upper class possess all the weapons in the city, so there was no way for the working class to fight back without dying immediately.

However, that mentality changed when one single High Elf of the working class named Brennos had a revelation. To this day, many claim this idea was some sort of epiphany bestowed onto Brennos by the gods, although there is no evidence to support this. The idea was simple: Don’t fight back… just leave! While it sounded insane at first, people eventually began to see what Brennos was talking about. The Upper Class never actually kept the city limits guarded, as the city was autonomous, and they never considered a mass exodus to be an option. None of them had ever even stepped foot outside of the city center. So, it was completely safe for the Middle Class to slowly, day by day, leave the city through the front entrance and begin building a new city. No one would have to fight, and all the servants would finally be free. Of course some of the older and more traditional High Elves in Hela’grush declined to leave, but that actually ended up working in the revolution’s favor. The High Elves who remained continued to produce crops for the upper class, albeit slightly smaller amounts but the rich had such an enormous surplus already that they never even noticed, so they never had any reason to suspect anything had changed. And as simple as that, the population of Hela’grush dropped by 8/10ths in the span of a 6 months. Everyone who left went on to create a new city by the name of “Mari’Serapha: The city where hard work is rewarded.” Brennos became a legend amongst the people in Mari’Serapha, and his story spread so far that he became the inspiration for the name of the country: Brennon.

## Further Information

* Cathais
* Deathless Days
* Kuragma
* United Orelisian Council