Vashian Republic

**Population**: 45% Vashian Westrasi Human, 20% Elves/Half-Elves, 20% Yorai Westrasi Human, 15% Other (mostly other Westrasi Humans)

**Capital**: Helias

#### **Culture**

The citizens of the Vashian Republic are a notoriously arrogant and  self-righteous people who see themselves as a beacon of civilization compared to the other Westrasi nations. The Republic is centered around the large metropolis of Helias, a city famous for its gorgeous marble buildings, clean streets, and strong law enforcement presence.  The Vashians takes great pride in their efficient and largely uncorrupt bureaucracy, their skilled diplomats, high levels of education, sponsorship of scholarly endeavors and arts, progressive attitudes to gender roles, good relations with the elvish peoples, orderly cities and landscapes, commitment to peace (in theory), piousness, and vast wealth. However to the frustration of some foreigners it is rare to see any Vashians acknowledge their exploitation of the Yoroi, prominent class divisions, authoritarian government, love of realpolitik, and general hypocrisy.

Vashian society is organized around wealth and status. It has a large number of wealthy nobles, merchants, scholars, artists, and artisans in proportion to its population, who enjoy rights and privileges on par with the best of the Westrasi democracies. Meanwhile, servants and laborers live out of sight of the upper and middle classes. Many of them are foreigners (particularly Yoroi) from poorer nations, who take on indentured contracts in order to be able to live in the Republic without fear of arrest. Despite miserable wages, the expectation that they live in packed basements and barns, their limited legal rights, and dark stories of abuse, there is no shortage of people willing to accept these conditions in return for being able to escape extreme poverty and/or instability in their home nations.

#### **Religion**

Gloria-Etalia is the dominant faith within the Republic, with a heavy emphasis on their self belief that they are far closer to being an ideal civilization worthy of bringing about the return of Gloria-Etalia than most of their neighbors. Their subjection of the Yoroi People (when acknowledged at all) is rationalized on the basis that they are helping them achieve a more civilized state.

Despite the Vashian's fondness of claiming they are an open-minded society, other faiths are not tolerated in the Republic, and even other Chapels of the Gloria-Etalia religion are shunned and discriminated against.

See Vashian Chapel for more information.

#### **Organization**

Although theoretically they pratice a democracy based heavily on the Morlouxian Model in practice power lies with the representatives of the dozen or so most powerful noble families in the Republic via seats on the Privy Council. In particular is the First Citizen who is elected by the Commons Seat and wields enormous executive power. Since the founding of the Republic the First Citizen has almost always come from the powerful Verrun family leading some to refer to the Vashian Republic as a de facto monarchy where wealth makes you king.

Power is highly centralized around the First Citizen who commands both the large Vashian Army and the public purse to hire mercenaries and national projects. Smaller towns and cities are ruled by mayors elected by the wealthy, however every sizable community in the republic contains spies loyal to the First Citizen, as well as at least one unit of the Vashian Army in their distinct red and white uniforms with silver edged armor plates and soft brown padding.

#### **Origin**

Like much of the Westrasi Sea region the area where the Vashian Republic now stands was once part of the Verani Empire. Helias and the surrounding area were once one of the wealthiest regions of the old Empire, but the area was heavily looted by the ancestors of the Yoroi People during and following the fall of the empire. The Vashian Republic was founded by Saramese exiles who mixed in with the descendants of the Verani Empire who were still living along the coast, who then together conquered much of the surrounding area in a series of wars. Recently the Vashian Republic has split the Yoroi Tribelands off into its own separate vassal state in order to prevent the emerging Yoroi middle class from influencing the Commons Seat.

#### **Diplomacy**

The Yoroi Tribelands are a de facto vassal state of the Republic. Despite their theoretical independence, the Yoroi government is filled with Vashian "advisors" and Vashian Army units are common throughout Yoroi lands to guard Vashian financial interests or to defend the borders. The Vashians know they can't hold the Tribelands forever but plan on holding onto "their" territory for as long as possible through drawn out negotiations and economic dominance. A small separatist guerrilla movement exists called Yeradi De'dun, also knows as "The People of the father". This movement is viewed in most eyes as legitimate, though some foreign state officials believe they are just Vashian pawns that will provide an excuse for the Vashians to re-invade Yoroi when they see fit.

The Yoroslovan, Euraxian, Araxian, Suezi, Farisians, and Commonwealth nations are seen as primitive barbarians who descended from those who destroyed the Verani Empire. In particular, the Farisians have made themselves a nuisance by either directly or indirectly funding Yoroi separatists. Although the Vashians claim open warfare is crude and uncivilized, they have in fact been involved in more wars than any other nation on the Westrasi Sea, typically involving themselves in other's disputes in return for trade concessions and military alliances against other nations.

The Vashians see the Veranese, Betranoxians, and Saramese as fellow descendants of the Verani Empire (or at least inheritors of said culture who didn't actively participate in bringing down the Empire). They all share a certain love for scholarship, art, intellectualism, and the arcane. Scholars, artists, poets, and arcanists from the republic frequently visit these nations. The Vashian Republic often chides the other three nations for fighting among themselves, but the Vashians have never been ones to let their own self-righteousness get in the way of self interest, and have either secretly or openly sabotaged the interests of the other nations when it was to their benefit.

Terravia and Uroxians are dismissed as nations of wackjobs, bordering on being seen as outright evil. They are poorly regarded by both nobles and commoners in the Republic, though, of course, faustian political and trade alliances are common.

Relations with Sarkatia are poor due to several long standing theological disputes.

Vashians generally ignore the giants and halflings who live south of their Yoroi vassals, seeing them as too barbaric to civilize.

#### **Geography**

The Vashian Republic is a relatively small but densely populated region. Most of the land has been transformed for "civilized use" with large fields of grain, orchards, vineyards, and grazing pastures covering a large part of the territory. Sections of grassland and forest have been left alone for recreational horseback riding, hunting, and to provide privacy to the estates of the wealthy.

##### **The Seventh Wonder: The Winged Palace of Helias**

This massive structure is number seven on Laelaz's Nine Wonders of the World. It is the current seat of the Vashian Government.

#### **Economy**

Generally considered one of the wealthiest nations on the Westrasi Sea, the Vashians benefit greatly from their near monopoly on the Yoroi Tribeland's abundant natural resources. However, even without the Yoroi, the Vashians make good money thanks to the many skilled artisans, and arcanists living within their territory. Their uncanny ability to come out on top in many conflicts and trade disputes also is a profitable source of wealth..

#### **Recent Events**

4946 - The **Vashians** split off the Yoroi Tribelands from their core territory in order to block the increasing influence middle class Yoroi were exerting in the **Vashian** Commons Seat (legislative chamber made up of representatives elected by those who have sufficient property or wealth). The Council of Tribes is created to continue providing some semblance of democracy, but it takes time for the Council to build up some genuine influence.

4985 - A faction of the Yeradi De'dun invades Araxia. The invasion leader, the warlord Kukata, is killed by the Prince of Euraxia in a now famous skirmish.

4986 - In order to avoid war with Araxia and Euraxia, the **Vashian Republic** loosens its trade monopolies in the Tribelands in return for political support from the Farisian Republic. Farisians are the main beneficiaries of this, using existing political ties with certain tribes to lock down a number of profitable trade deals.

4988 - First Citizen Glashin Verrun steps down in favor of his niece Herika Verrun, who, though only 28 at the time, quickly becomes loathed by rulers and diplomats throughout the Westrasi Sea region for her sharp tongue, razor wit, and keen political instincts, though it was generally understood at that time among the elite of the Westrasi Sea that Herika is merely the mouthpiece for senior members of the Verrun Family.

4988 - First Citizen Herika Verrun calls the Ambassador of Terravia a "commune-ist peasant". The Terravian Ambassador is defenestrated into a pigsty after calling Herika a "monarchist harlot".

4990 - The Vashian Republic helps Araxia invade Sarcia. The two year war is inconclusive, though the Republic does receive several trade concessions from Araxia.

4991 - The Vashian Republic begins a long series of minor skirmishes with the halflings and giants over the right to post watchtowers along the border wall between Midnat and the Yoroi Tribelands.

4993 - A regional shortage of bronze leads "mercenaries" from the Vashian Republic to team up with soldiers from Suezi, and actual mercenaries from the Farisian Republic in order to set up illegal mines in Uraka. They are eventually driven out by soldiers from Terravia supporting local horsewomen, though the Republic denies official involvement.

4993 - First Citizen Herika Verrun causes a minor scandal when she uses massive amounts of public funds to build massive mausoleums for each of her three pet tigers (none of whom are anticipated to pass away soon, Ranji Tigers can live for over four decades).

4994 - The Vashian Republic boycotts the Annual Westrasi Sea Grand Tourney on moral/religious grounds because it is being held in the Uroxian Federation. Instead they hold their own tourney. One of the star events, a non-lethal spear fighting match between Sanukinuiq adventuress Anyu Pikatti and Maaga warrior Naji the Impaler, attracted an audience of over 20,000.

4995 - The Vashian Republic is bribed by Suezi to help blockade Voroi as an initial step in a potential invasion, while also secretly receiving massive bribes from Farisian based mercenary companies for making the war possible, and secretly receiving even more massive bribes for providing certain Bertranox merchants with information on how to bypass the blockade. They are then bribed by Terravia, Uraka, and the Veranese Citystates to not participate in the actual invasion. The Vashian Republic continued to receive bribes (in the form of trade concessions, coinage, raw material, political leverage, etc.) from all six parties for the whole 16 month blockage period as the Suezi alternate between trying to get neutral states to join the invasion, and trying to get Terravia, Uraka, and the Veranese Citystates to withdraw their support from Voroi. In the end, the invasion was cancelled, and First Citizen Herika Verrun was awarded with a Peace Prize by the Vashian Government for "enabling Suezi to express its grievances with the Voroi via methods other than war".

4996 - A previously legendary kraken is spotted sinking a cargo ship off the coast near Helias. Hundreds of eye witnesses finally confirm the existence of the beast.

4996 - The Vashian Republic fends off a brief invasion by the Yoroslovans.

4998 - Yoroi Separatists score a notable propaganda victory when they drug an entire unit of Vashian soldiers and leave them bound and naked in a field.

5000 - The Yoroslovans yet again invade, this time occupying small parts of the Yoroi Tribelands.

### **Player Character Notes**

The Vashians are an arrogant people, convinced of their moral and cultural superiority of others in the region.  They are currently at war with the Yoroslovans over territory in their vassal state the Yoroi Tribelands.