Federation of New Towhold

## Description:

The Federation of New Towhold, commonly referred to as New Towhold, is a united league of small islands on the western edge of the Drahran Archipelago dedicated to the protection of their independence and trading interests in the face of external pressure from the Kingdom of Riofria and the Drahran Empire. The Federation uses pooled resources and contacts on the mainland Continent of Pilbo to secure their safety and independence.

The Federation is public knowledge across the Continent of Pilbo, particularly in the Drahran Archipelago, where the Federation is seen as the final bastion of mainland civilization before one enters the anarchy of the Archipelago proper. Those outside of the Continent of Pilbo are entirely unaware of the Federation's existence, as per the [REDACTED] with the Pilboan Empire.

### Organization:

#### Population: 959,000 citizens

The Federation of New Towhold is led by a combined delegation from the Federation's three (3) primary members: the Island of New Towhold, the Torzian Duchy, and the Republic of Nobramoria. The Federation's members are not considered sovereign states in their own right, however, due to their deep ties within the Federation. This delegation decides on realm-spanning laws and decisions, maintains diplomatic relations with other nations, manages trade and mercantilism, and commands the combined military might at the Federation's disposal. Below the delegation sit the individual governing bodies of each of the Federation's members, chosen according to their members' political system of choice; these governments control their own territory and cannot directly command or affect any of the others without operating through the Federation's overarching delegation. While the Federation's members each have some unique cultural or political ideas, all of the city-states under their control are still alloted a powerful degree of independence, even for the feudal Torzian Duchy, a requirement of entry into the Federation.

The Federation absorbs new islands and regions into its organization on a rare basis. While the Federation is constantly searching for new members, it is rare for their ambassadors to reach an island before pirates of the Drahran Empire or imperial vessels from the Kingdom of Riofria have already claimed it as their own. Most small islands within the Archipelago are under the control of Pilbo's native races, the Lizardfolk or Felinids, which creates further problems within the majority-human Federation; the Federation does not assimilate or invade regions or islands controlled by native populations and respects the natives' customs more than most other factions within Pilbo. On the rare occasion that the Federation is able to find and secure a potential member, the Federation conducts extensive tests, inquiries, investigations, and operations within the potential member to determine if their values align with those of the Federation; only if the potential member passes these tests does the Federation then vote to include or exclude the potential member from their organization. The Federation is also known to assimilate large companies, mercenary bands, Trade Companies, and even Pirate Bands into its organization under the right conditions.

The Federation dedicates all of its pooled resources to protecting its interests, both domestic and foreign; the Federation's navy and mercenary armies protect settlements and accompany merchant ships, their ambassadors strike deals and negotiate acquisitions, and their politicians maintain their members' independence from the larger, competing forces at play within the Archipelago. The Federation's sphere of influence is explicitly quite small, pertianing only to the section of islands and ocean that surrounds their members' islands, but the Federation's implicit influence is far-reaching; the combined wealth and influence of the Federation's members and thier extensive ties to the Continent's mainland factions allow the Federation to flourish in the face of boycotts or blockades by larger local organizations.

The Federation's social hierarchy is determined by one's wealth. The Federation's machinations function off of money, from the employment of their dedicated mercenary armies to the tithes gathered from the countless guilds and companies that wish to continue operating within the Federation's territory. The more money a person has, the more power they can afford to buy and the more sway their interests hold within the Federation's politics.

The Federation is unaware of the JPCU's existence, although rumors of JPCU Agents operating within the Federation's larger cities remain pervasive and active.

### Religion:

The Federation of New Towhold is very religiously tolerant and maintains no state-sponsored religion. The Federation's diversity requires that the state treat all faiths equally.