Bretonia

Bretonia is a human kingdom of humble, hardworking folk. They take great pride in their military and navy strength. Believers in justice, the Bretonians are always willing to lend a hand and protect the weak. The Bretonians are appreciated worldwide, but especially in Guero, acting as a voice of reason.

Humans are perhaps the most diverse race in terms of physical qualities. They can stand anywhere between 5’0” and 6’7”. Their bodies can be strong and sturdy, swift and nimble, fraile and lanky, or any combination thereof. Theirre hair can be black, brown or a range of blondes and reds. Their eyes can be dark brown, hazel, blue and green.

Politics
Add info about colonies south of Savage Lands

Bretonia is a traditional Human kingdom ruled by King Isaac Klove since 1,083. He is well respected by the common folk. Klove has four appointed dukes to help him maintain order in each of the quadrants of the nation. Duchess Alyssa Pollack lives in Great Colton and watches over the Kiley Quadrant. Duke Sollips Evers is stationed in Sapscythe and in charge of the Golden Quadrant. Responsible for the Sun Quadrant, Duke Mortimer Atwood lives in Aldoure. Duke Kyle Braddock, leader of the King’s Quadrant, resides in the capital, Karmon City. The dukes are meant to keep order and enforce the king’s laws. The king’s laws are in effect across the nation, and the dukes are not allowed to create new laws or augment existing laws. Their primary job is to designate guard commanders, wardens,  and mayors. Occasionally the dukes will take audiences for certain hearings, but their main purpose is to keep the nation running smoothly.

Kingship is passed on to sons or daughters, but in the case that an unfit King should arise, the citizens reserve their right to disparage the King. In such a situation, the dukes appoint a new King.

What Bretonia lacks in quantity of troops, it makes up for in quality. Bretonian soldiers are well trained and equipped with the finest weapons and armor. Warlords in Bretonia are level-headed, tactical experts, trained to make every soldier count. The Bretonian army is considered one of the most disciplined in the world whose servicemen bleed national pride. Bretonia’s navy is among the strongest in the world, second perhaps only to Drehr Behrkán.

Bretonian soldiers are trained in one of three classes: Heavy armor, medium armor, and light armor. Those clad in heavy armor fight in the front lines. They wield shields, swords, maces, flails, waraxes, greatswords, mauls, warhammers, morningstars, battle axes, or some combination of these weapons. Their weapon choices are based around either survivability or dishing out massive damage. The heavy armor men are the strongest most durable men of Bretonia. Their training includes heavy armor conditioning to ensure they never run out of stamina in war, combat training, and strength training.

Those wearing chainmail are considered the medium armor class. They follow the heavy armor class into battle. This class is composed of the nation’s swiftest, most evasive, and quickest thinking men. Men in medium armor often carry pikes, sparths, spears,  glaives, halberds, one-handed swords, falchions, longswords, light shields, parrying dagger, stilettos, scimitars, or some combination of these weapons. Their weapons are meant to allow the soldier to either attack from a distance or to attack with such speed that they take out their enemy before there is any danger. Training for these troops involves combat training, dodging/blocking practice, precision training, and speed training.

The light armor class includes all the men who can attack from a distance. They wear hide or leather armor, and are armed with long bows, crossbows, guns, arbalests, javelins, handcannons, or sometimes magic. Most will also carry a sword or dagger of some sort. These men are trained sharpshooters, wielding some of the finest made ranged weapons in the world. While Bretonia’s melee troops are certainly powerful, it is their ranged units that need be truly feared.

Bretonian war engineers build some of the world’s finest cannons and explosives. Breeders raise and train warhorses, gryphons, warbears, and drakes. Gryphon riders will often carry bombs and drop them from above the enemy. Cavalry generally carry lances, wear heavy armor, and deck out their horses in armor as well. Warbear riders aren’t typically armed. They put their focus toward commanding the bear to attack. The bears are put into armor and given steel gloves for their claws. Drake riders fly above their enemies while their beasts breath flames onto the foe.

Bretonia’s trust lies most heavily in Skyaard and Drehr Behrkán. These two nations have proven particularly stable and noble. Through Skyaard, Bretonia has also created alliances with Nuhimm, Wixicroft, and Sprillan. Bretonia is well liked throughout the world, as they are always willing to help a nation in need. The nation has no true enemies, though they are wary of Kahl. They are also a bit uncomfortable with the war in Guero, but they are accepting of Utopians as well as both High and Dark Elves. King Klove is also very intent on cleaning up the pirate problem around the Savage Lands. This has proven to be a difficult task, as the pirates have learned to evade Bretonian ships.

Population: 339,700

Size: 16,000 square miles

Capital city: Karmon City

History
The area now known as Bretonia was once the most populated part of Kahl. The kingdom was ruled by Leopold VI. The Leopold dynasty was infamous for sapping resources, drinking themselves silly, and gorging themselves while their kingdom starved. In 365, a baby boy named Simon Breton was born to a family of nobles in the capital city at the time Highcastle. Breton’s family was wealthy and did not feel the full effect of Leopold’s reign.

One night, when Breton was 18, he went to the tavern for a drink. Breton saw a melancholy man perched at the bar sipping on wine. Always outgoing and compassionate, Breton approached the dejected young man asking the cause of his depression. The man told Breton that he came into the city to plead with the king. He said that his family had fallen ill of malnutrition, that his family could not pay the king’s taxes without selling all the goods on their farms. There was not enough to eat. The king was of no help and did not take pity on the lad. This was the moment that opened Breton’s eyes. Breton had only ever heard good things about the king growing up in the shelter of the noble life.

After following the man from the tavern to his farm, Breton used his wealth to help the family with their taxes and nourished the family back to health. Breton then worked on the farm for 6 weeks free of charge. Breton traveled all around the country helping farmers and laborers in need. He found that most everyone suffered the same fate as the man Breton had met in the tavern. Breton continued his services all around Old Kahl for 8 years before he decided to begin a non-violent activist movement. Breton’s goal was never to overthrow the king, but to show him what he was doing to the working class.

Sure enough, King Leopold ignored the strike, the overfilled dungeons, and the lack of production in the fields. Half the kingdom was infuriated with the king, even many of the king’s men had denounced their allegiance. Breton set off to free the prisoners and usurp the king’s throne. With a small army, Breton relied mostly on his words to take down Leopold. He shared his anecdotes with the guards, told them of the stories he had heard and seen from his years on the farms. Many guards agreed to help and betrayed their king. Those who were loyal were killed or injured in hand to hand combat. Breton made a point to spill as little blood as possible, and in fact, when he fought his way into the throne room, he sheathed his blade to speak to the king man-to-man. He told Leopold his days as king of Guero were over. He would have two weeks to gather up his belongings, gather any followers still loyal to him, and set off on ship to find a new home. On the 63rd of Winter, 397, Bretonia had claimed their independence. Shortly thereafter, Skyaard too named themselves an independent nation. Bretonia and Skyaard wasted no time before arranging trade agreements and alliances.

Simon Breton became famous through the nation, and generation after generation of Bretonians aspired to his high moral compass. Over time, Breton’s virtues became ingrained into the culture. Chivalry and honor became the nation’s most desired characteristics.

During Simon Breton’s rule, in 415, naval scouts reported a bizarre, gruesome sight. Naval captain Arnold Rosewood responded to the reports to find to his dismay that the rumors were true. A ship unrivaled in size, composed entirely of rotting corpses was sailing for Bretonia. Rosewood readied his fleet and set course to intercept the ship.

Rosewood called for the undead ship to surrender, whereupon a large humanoid man stepped forward with his arms up. Rosewood boarded the ship, keeping his crew at the ready. The man did not speak Common, but he explained as best he could through gestures and charades that he meant no harm. That he was fleeing from someone. Rosewood spotted a vessel full mast sailing straight for him. He decided to let the undead ship through, preparing defensive maneuvers for the ship to come. The ship on the offensive recognized it was outnumbered and outgunned and immediately began to retreat.

The undead ship docked in Bretonia for a rest only a night or two. Then the large humanoid broke the components of ship, forming undead men and horses which then marched through Bretonia to the west.

A Human man traveled to Karmon City from the north in 460. He requested an audience with King Ambrose Everhart, introducing himself as Brian Black of Utopia. Everhart and Black got along swimmingly as they discussed trade routes and had idle chitchat. Everhart even struck up a deal to have Black tour Bretonia lecturing his advancements in science to inspire the Bretonian people. This was monumental for the Bretonian people not because of the relationship it sparked with Utopia. That dwindled away quickly. It was historic because of the way it improved Bretonia’s engineering.

Before Black came around, Bretonia had simple cannons, arbalests, and catapults. When Black shared his knowledge with Bretonia, engineers became fascinated, enthralled even, with firearms. Bretonians took Black’s revolutionary ideas and ran with them. Today, Bretonia is one of the finest firearms producers in the world. This of course inspired their advancement in explosives as well.

In 653, Skyaard’s president Wilson Brant contacted Queen Olivia Rosabel Everhart, explaining that he would be investigating an issue in the west. He asked Queen Everhart if she would be willing to launch a defense in the event that something should go awry. She agreed, and waited with bated breath to hear back. She didn’t have to wait long. Wilson Brant wrote back less than a week later explaining that he had made an alliance with a new nation named Nuhimm. Naturally Queen Everhart was nervous to hear that Skyaard had allied with a lich, but she trusted Brant’s judgement and sent an ambassador to meet with the Allknower of Nuhimm. The ambassador returned in favor of allying with the lich. The ambassador claimed that Nuhimm would be a powerful ally.

From the north in the winter of 720 came a caravan of Dwarves. The Dwarves were hearty and good-natured with wagons full of wares from all across Skone. Many of the products were never before seen to the majority of the Bretonian people. The Dwarves shared a cask of their finest Dwarven mead with King Gavin Magnus and discussed trade. Magnus did not consider Bretonia in need of trade, but he was won over by the mead and agreed to establish occasional trade with the Dwarves and the rest of Skone.

In 878, much to the shock of king at the time Augustus Amherst, a Dark Elven man sought an audience with the king. The Dark Elf explained that his people were in grave need of aid. Tentatively King Amherst pledged to prepare an army for battle. Amherst was apprehensive and wary of the Dark Elf’s entreaty, as Bretonia had had no association with Halign Mak’kai prior. Nonetheless, it was Bretonia’s righteous duty to aid a country in need. Amherst decided to send an army of volunteers to scout ahead and trigger any ambushes that may await. Only a few men returned, each with panic written across their faces. They told of daemonic beasts, slaughtering and enslaving the Dark Elves. The small group of volunteers was massacred swiftly by a battalion of of the daemons.

With this information, King Amherst called his entire military into action. The war in Halign Mak’kai waged on for 8 years. The beasts slayed many skilled fighters, both Human and Dark Elf, but ultimately Bretonia and Halign Mak’kai stood victorious. This war was named the Fel War. When the war was over, things went back as they used to be. Halign Mak’kai rarely makes contact with the Humans of Bretonia. The Dark Elves did build a statue, nearly 40 feet tall, as a gift for Bretonia. The structure depicts a Human pikemen piercing a centaur-like beast while a Dark Elf stabs the beast in the back. The stature can be found in Aldoure.

Since the War of the Eastern Coast has begun, refugees from Sivverlynn, Utopia, and Halign Mak’kai have found their ways to Bretonia, diversifying the once solely-human nation. Bretonians are welcoming of these outsiders so long as they demonstrate a willingness to work.

Trade
Bretonians are humble, hard working people excelling in many crafts. One can rely on Bretonia to have quality goods of all kinds. The mountains are rich with mineable ore including copper, zinc, tin, gold, silver, iron, lead, nickel, quicksilver, and titanium. These metals are usually sold to smelters who use them to create ingots, coins, and alloys, such as steel, brass, pewter, and bronze. Smelters then sell these ingots to artists, blacksmiths, engineers, or any other customer. Miners also brought back and sold graphite, diamonds, gemstones, and building stone or otherwise desirable stone like obsidian. Many miners work independently and keep 100% of their profits. Other miners work in groups and share the profits. Some mining companies have foremen who sell their goods and distribute the wealth based on work and contribution.

Farmers grow a variety of grains such as rye, barley, buckwheat, millet, oats, wheat and flour. These grains were generally sold to bakers or innkeepers and used to make breads, pies, doughnuts, porridge, turnovers, fritters, and cookies. Fruit and vegetable suppliers farmed cabbage, beets, onions, carrots, potatoes, turnips, garlic, figs, pomegranates, lemons, grapes, oranges, a variety of nuts, and all sorts of herbs and spices. Cattle, goat, and sheep farmers produce not only meat, but also milk, butter, whey, cheeses, hides, and wool. Meat farmers could produce beef, pork, mutton, lamb, chicken and eggs. Beekeepers supply the nation with honey for mead and sweetener, and wax for candle makers and woodworkers.

Blacksmiths craft armor, weapons, pots, gates, locks, stakes, horse shoes, saws and so on. Many Bretonian blacksmiths may specialize as a military blacksmith or a versatility blacksmith. Whitesmiths craft more delicate objects such as silverware, cups, pitchers, flagons, candle holders, as well as filing and polishing finished black metal wares.

Hunters provide meat for cooks and innkeepers, along with hides for leatherworkers. Lumberers fell trees and sell their lumber to builders, blacksmiths, shipwrights, instrument makers, and furniture makers. Enchanters sell magically enhanced items.

Bretonia has become most famous for their engineering work, particularly their firearms. Their pistols, rifles, shotguns, handcannons, and cannons are the best in the world. Bretonia keeps these items within their own nation for the most part. One from another nation who wishes to obtain a Bretonian firearm needs either to travel to Bretonia or offer a sizable lump of gold to have it shipped. Engineers also make flashlights, drills, ovens, clocks, steam engines, simple bots, turrets, bombs, toys, and a variety of other things.

Bretonia does not depend much on trade. Their most regular trade agreements are with Skyaard, Nuhimm, and Drehr Berhrkán, with whom they trade once every 6 weeks or so. Bretonia exports any excess goods they have. Traders travel the nation purchasing goods from their makers, then turn to sell them to other nations. Most exports and imports are handled by trading companies. If someone should need something imported, they need to contact the trading company, which will see to it that the item is purchased and imported. Bretonians generally don’t need supplies. Most of their imports are objects of personal interest. Many Bretonians have an great interest in Nuhimmian culture, so paintings and literature are imported with consistency. On a less regular basis than the aforementioned nations, Bretonia trades with Wixicroft, Sprillan, Sivverlynn, Utopia, Halign Mak’kai, Hauntos, Coalhearth, Trakodo, and Blute.

Thrice a season, citizens must pay their dukes and king a tax. This tax can be paid in resources, service, or gold. Taxes are kept low, as money and resources required through tax are required to go back into the nation. Kings and dukes are generally supplied their goods and services for free. Most citizens see serving their royalty as an honor and do so with pleasure. The nation is not incredibly wealthy, and most of the citizens are able to live comfortably, but not overly luxuriously. Bretonia’s subjects generally work out of pride and to provide for their community more than for purse of gold. Most merchants are willing to barter or accept gold for their goods.

Science
Bretonian firearms are their bread and butter. Particularly Bretonia’s simple-to-load rifles are extremely accurate and precise. After a few hours worth of practice on a Bretonian firearm, people often report feeling as one with the gun. While firearms are their most well known breakthrough in science, it is far from their only breakthrough.

Many of their scientific advances are centered around their military effort. These include items such as cannons, grenades, flamethrowers, turrets, landmines and other explosives, crossbows, and vibrating serrated blades.

Bretonia favors steampower over clockwork generally. Their steampower products include steamboats, trade vehicles, and transport vehicles. Their clockwork devices are limited to basic clocks. Most bots in Bretonia, large or small, are designed with steam engines in most cases.

Any aspiring inventor or scientist can study science freely in Bretonia. Those that manage to distinguish themselves from the rest and make a career as an engineer often do so after several years of schooling. Engineering school can be very expensive. Few fortunate engineers have begun their career after years of studying and self-teaching with little or no formal training. Many Bretonians take up science as a hobby and will tinker with devices in their off time.

Magic
Bretonia doesn’t rely on magic to the same extent as many other nations. Magic is seen as a means to making life simpler or more luxurious. Blacksmiths with an aptitude for magic study earth magic and the manipulation of metals. They can then use their magic to shape the metal. Some blacksmiths also use force magic for precise hammering and shaping of metals. Earth magic is also used by some miners to detect deposits and dig more easily. Fire magic is used around the nation to light forges, torches, or fireplaces. Water magic is used to clean or to freeze things. Magic is often used to heal wounds, cure infections, or liven crops as well.

Finding a living as a mage in Bretonia is difficult. They are handy adventurers and healers. A handful of people who show true promise are trained as battle magi for the military. Magic teachers can earn decent gold if the demand is high enough. There are very few magic schools in Bretonia. Citizens with the desire to learn magic will most commonly do so by studying spellbooks on their own, finding a personal trainer, or enrolling at Skyaard.

Bretonia favors the elemental magics, namely fire, water, earth, and air. This preference is likely a result of the fact that the majority of Bretonians aren’t aware that other branches of magic exist. Dark magic is a well-known branch, but not a well-understood branch. While dark magic is not illegal, it tends to disturb other Bretonians and foster suspicion.

Sorcery isn't well understood in Bretonia. If a person shows latent aptitude to use magic untrained, they are branded a witch. Bretonian sorcerers are best off hiding their skills, lying about the source of their magic, or traveling to Skyaard to train.

Religion
Most Bretonians worship all five gods, recognizing each as a representative aspect of their lives. Li'ina resonates with Bretonia, a nation which prides itself on its just actions. Light is also more precious to the Bretonians who have less dependable forms of lighting than many other nations.

Slyvix is worshipped primarily as the god of knowledge and secrets. Bretonians believe in always going the extra mile to gain intel, and believe that some information should only be shared in the right audience. Few Bretonians revere the night or the darkness.

Syra is the goddess of life and beauty, two very important virtues in Bretonian culture. Syra is particularly important to farmers, hunters, and artists.

Kira'Zhin is revered primarily for her work ethic, which states that one must being willing to work for what they desire. Bretonian people persevere through pain, rejoice in times of peace, celebrate life, and mourn for the dead.

In some ways, Vorb is seen as a necessary evil. Bretonia works hard to maintain order, but they recognize that chaos is unavoidable. Praying to Vorb is an effort to make chaos go in their favor, or else give them the strength to deal with whatever mayhem may come their way. Bretonians also revere Vorb as a way to express their gratitude for all the fantastic art that comes into the nation.

Language
Bretonia's national language is Common. Bretonians have one of the three Common accents, the other two being Blutian and Kahlish. All the nations Bretonia is friendly with speak Common, so it isn’t particularly necessary for the Bretonians to learn other languages. Despite that, Bretonians may study the language of a culture that interests them. Since more Dark and High Elves have begun moving to Bretonia, many Bretonians are beginning to study Elven. Avid readers will often learn Abyssal so that they can read Nuhimmian literature and poetry in its original tongue.

Culture
Bretonian culture is based off the teachings of Simon Breton. To the Bretonian people, no virtues are more important than honor and diligence. Bretonians stress doing the right thing in any situation. They believe that one should work not for gold, but for the good of his or her community. Always willing to lend a hand, Bretonians are hospitable and friendly people.

Children in Bretonia carry on their father’s name and inherit his status. People always assume things about children based on their father’s honor. On the contrary, if a child does something terrible, the parents are blamed and their honor is knocked. Because of this, children are raised to be very well behaved and do the family name proud.

Bretonians believe that it is important to work hard, but also find time for hobbies and family. This mentality is trained into children at a young age, who are encouraged to balance work and play. Children in the city may be enrolled in school, where they can learn about science, swordplay, arithmetic, reading, and writing. While out of school, these children can run about the city playing with toys and other children. Children in towns or villages usually spend the day helping their parents with their trade before going out to play with other children or siblings.

As a child comes of age around 16-18 years of age, they are encouraged to travel around the nation lending their youthful strength to people in need, much in the same way that Simon Breton did. This may mean working as an adventurer, a farmhand, a shiphand, an apprentice, and so on. Beside teaching them to appreciate being helpful, this practice also allows young adults to decide what work resonates best with them and what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

Bretonian garb is simple and humble. Their clothes are generally made of linen or cotton in the spring and summer, cotton or wool in the winter and fall. The use of silk is rare. Clothes tend to be plain-colored in whites, greys, browns, and blacks. Brighter, more vibrant colors are considered to be overly flashy. Armors of all kinds are simple and practical, following the philosophy “form follows function.” Their armor may be decorated with tasteful insignias or sigils, but little more. Armors are designed to keep one safe and they do just that without any special decorations.

Weapons are the exception to this rule. Bretonians enjoy unique, one of a kind weapons which can be distinguished from their neighbors'. These weapons are still modest by standards of many other nations, but the designs are precise and carved with great detail.

Buildings and houses are generally made using timber framing and the walls are built with brick, wattle and daub, stone, or more timber. These structures again are quite subdued in appearance, castles included. They are built to serve their purpose, not to draw attention. There are four castles in Bretonia, the largest of which is Highcastle in Karmon City. Great Colton’s castle is known as Whitemoon. Dunwall Castle is in Sapscythe, and Rubystone can be found in Aldoure. Wooden furniture such as tables and chair may be a bit more intricate in their design to create a desired atmosphere. This is especially true in royal rooms in castles or in the houses of wealthy people.

The wealthiest people in Bretonia are generally charismatic traders. Buyers with diplomacy on their side can obtain items at a low cost and resell them across border for a much greater price. Wealthy folks other than these traders often inherit their wealth from deceased family. Most Bretonians see a humble but fairly consistent flow of gold.

Some Bretonians are not so lucky, unfortunately. Bretonia’s city streets are home to a fair number of homeless folks. The homeless are generally treated quite well. Many people will pitch a few copper to homeless men, women, and children on the streets. Often times if a laborer travels to a city for business or pleasure, he may recruit a homeless man as a farmhand or miner. The homeless are generally willing to work for a place to stay and three square meals, but many Bretonians feel inclined to pay them a small bit of coin for their work as well. Bretonia even has a holiday dedicated to helping beggars.

This holiday takes place on the fourth day of summer. Citizens gather in the cities and towns, bringing supplies and skills for the homeless. They cook stews, bake bread, ready spiced wines, tailor clothes, make shoes, and bathe the homeless. A slight minority of Bretonians believe that the homeless are homeless for a reason, and that they do not deserve the aid of those who work for their lifestyle. Others dispute that being homeless is in and of itself a job, more difficult than most with less payout. Others still just believe it is their righteous duty to help a person in need, whether they deserve it or not.

Bretonia is home to many mercenaries, the most famous and prestigious of which is the Brotherhood of the Sword. The Brotherhood is the king’s own mercenary group, paid to carry out the kings orders, stop bandits, and so on. The Brotherhood of the Sword has bases in each of the castles. An extremely exclusive bunch, the Brotherhood only accepts the finest fighters and most honorable men in all of Bretonia. Many are recruited from lesser mercenary groups if they demonstrate the right virtues and prowess in battle.

Bretonians find entertainment through shows of strength and combative skills, though they avoid bloodsports generally. Jousting is one of the nation’s most popular sports, as it requires strength, fortitude, and skill in equestrianism. Jousters use blunt lances, intended to knock the opponent of his mount as opposed to killing or maiming him. Dueling is another recreational event for audiences and practitioners alike. Duels are usually carried out with deadly weapons, but a duelers blows are restrained so as to avoid killing or seriously injuring an opponent. These battles continue until one competitor yields. Combatants who fail to swallow their pride may wind up killed, crippled, or severely wounded. Feats of skill are also quite popular in Bretonia, horse races, archery contests, and hammer-throws for instance. All of the aforementioned events are sure to draw a crowd, funnel in great sums of gold, and prompt heavy drinking and gambling.

Jesters, mummers, and bards are commonplace in Bretonian society. These performers can be found in taverns, inns, courts, and entertainment halls. They can also be found busking for coin in the streets. Some traveling salesmen, militaristic groups, or mercenary companies will hire bards to provide entertainment and boost morale while on the road. Acrobats, jugglers, and conjurers can be found in Bretonia as well, but with less frequency.

In terms of home entertainment, Bretonians enjoy gambling on dice games such as backgammon, liar’s dice and knucklebones, as well as card games like all fours and palace. They also play strategy games such as chess, nine men’s morris, and fox and geese. The philosopher’s game is common amongst well educated men and women. Men, women, and children also enjoy bowls, colf, wrestling, and horseshoes.

During free time, most Bretonians are quite passionate about about a hobby or two. Some are avid readers who enjoy poetry or literature from around the nation and the rest of the world. Bretonians are often very interested in other cultures and will study other nations. Some take up woodworking, shooting, hunting, or knitting. The options are vast and nearly limitless.