Istenpur
- Area Square Miles: 52,500
The rough area in square miles of that nation. - Population: 420,000 (8/sq. mile) The total population, including all significant humanoid races, plus the average population per square mile.
- Racial Balance: Human (84%), Lizardfolk (6%), Orc (3%), Halfling (3%), Other (4%) The details of all the major races of that country, as a percentage of the total population.
- Capital City: Newshur (pop. 3,500) The capital city of that country, if it has one, along with its population.
- Government: Oligarchy The political structure for that nation, if any. This will be one of: autocracy, confederation, democracy, despotism, dictatorship, imperial, monarchy, oligarchy, republic or tribal. By far, the most common form of government is monarchy.
- World View: defensive / agricultural, seafaring The attitude of each nation toward its neighbors (passive, defensive or aggressive) and a number of terms that best sum that nation up (ie agricultural, nomadic, seafaring, wild, etc). Each nation can have one or more such terms, but will only ever have one attitude.
- Religion: Aruthane, Azerond, Concei Japur, Destor, Fandor, Hayn, Ky, Omuz, Pith, Rougon, Sassa; Zidodd; Ragmannon, Xagraxsus; Olgden, Thim The main gods esteemed by that nation. The list reflects the racial balance statistics (see above); so if humans are the largest racial group in that nation, followed by elves and dwarves, the list of deities follwed by humans will be first, then elves and dwarves. Within this context, they are listed alphabetically. No deity is listed more than once, even if more than one racial group prays to that god (for instance, both elves and gnomes are likely to follow Ky, but it will only be listed once nonetheless).
- Languages: Annasse, Eppish, Karnish The main languages spoken by the people of that nation, listed alphabetically.
- Climate: Warm Temperate The climate of that nation, from: arctic, continental cool summer, humid subtropical, subarctic, subtropical, temperate, tropical, warm temperate.
Overview
With at least half of its land surface covered in swamp, Istenpur is a poor nation of tribal communities who mostly live on the edges of The Ist Swamp, scratching a living in what is a hard existence. Although Newshur is the capital city of Istenpur, being located in relative safety away from the swamp, Xannery is in fact the largest, being over twice the size of that of Newshur, despite sitting on the very southern tip of The Ist Swamp, for Xannery has become one of the major ports on The Falagrim Peninsula, giving excellent access to and from the Aggenbor Sea.
Powerful tribal lords, who govern small territories, dominate the land. The competition and rivalry between them is fierce and sporadic infighting sees the balance of power in a perpetual state of flux, allowing for little in the way of political or cultural evolution.
The Ist Swamp is home to a large number of lizardfolk tribes, as well as small numbers of other reptilian races who live on the coastal regions of the swamp. It is also the home of some very powerful black dragons that raid the homes of the people of Istenpur regularly. The land also has a sizable orc and kobold population who live in or around the edges of the swamp. Orcs in particular can be found in The Fallen Forest in the north of Istenpur.
Istenpur trades pelts with Karnish and the other nations on the Aggenbor Sea, especially crocodile skins, which are highly regarded in Karnish. However, these goods are usually purchased cheap (or traded for essential goods) before being sold on at an inflated price elsewhere. Despite the regular arrival of grand Karnish ships, Karnish cultural has had little influence outside of Xannery and the majority of the nation speak Annasse and, to a lesser degree, Eppish. The contrast between the two major cities, Newshur and Xannery, is stark, with those from Xannery regarding the capital as something of a cultural backwater.
Significant Trade Export
Pelts and Reptile Skins: The crocodile skins of Istenpur are especially popular in Karnish and the countries bordering the Aggenbor Sea and while they fetch a good price in these nations, Istenpur does not reap the benefits as they are often traded for essential goods that are in short supply in Istenpur, or purchased well below their market value. They also trade the pelts of many of the exotic swamp dwelling denizens.
Brief History
Being little more than a worthless swamp, Istenpur's history is mostly uneventful, filled largely with power struggles between the tribes or battles with lizardfolk or orcs. It is also rich in the heroic struggles of its people against the black dragons of The Ist Swamp.
During the Amman invasion of the Falagrim Peninsula, a nominal occupational force settled in Istenpur as a token gesture, but found the tribes of Istenpur to be unmanageable savages and dealt with them harshly. Later, as Amman forces mustered for the invasion of Eppen, the allied tribal chiefs attacked the remnants of the Amman administration and military, easily defeating them.
The tribal alliance took control of the governance of Istenpur, with the most powerful of the tribal chiefs assuming total power. Infighting between the tribes for the control of Istenpur is now the dominant political feature of these lands, bringing with it instability, bloodshed and a hard life for its people.
The Major Towns and Cities
Newshur: (pop: 3,500) The oldest established settlement in Istenpur, Newshur gives excellent access to the nations that border the Aggenbor Sea. Primarily a small fishing town, it is where the administration of Istenpur can be found and is the power center of the nation. However, it is by no means either the largest or wealthiest community, and many of the nations wealthiest individuals can be found in Xannery.
Xannery: (pop: 8,000) The largest and wealthiest town of Istenpur, Xannery is located on the southern tip of The Ist Swamp, where it has become an essential port of call along the trade routes around the Sea of Guardians. It is home to many of the nations wealthiest individuals and regards Newshur as something of a backwater, despite its role as the center of national administration. The isolation of Xannery from the rest of Istenpur has given it a distinct and unique flavor and Karnish culture is much more overt here than elsewhere.