The Federal Monarchy of Gardenia

[/b] Gardenian, Gardeni
Capital: Greywall
Location: East Ciredia
Neighbors: Asnor, Medina
Size: Largest
Age: 20 Years
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Summary:
Located in eastern Ciredia, Gardenia is based on medieval Europe. The country is composed of provinces, each of which acts as its own kingdom. However, there is one royal family that stands above the rest, and makes decisions when the others cannot decide. That said, all of the royalty in Gardenia are related in some way, and so if one person dies, any other family can move up from duke or duchess to king or queen of Gardenia.

History:
Gardenia is the second youngest of the four nations. Just two centuries ago it was a number of separate kingdoms that could not stand each other. Through marriage and alliances those kingdoms combined. It has only been in the last twenty years that the Federal Monarchy of Gardenia was officially born. Since that day the leadership has changed frequently. No one who has led Gardenia has lived a full life, with assassins and mercenaries guaranteeing each royalty has a chance at the throne.

Geography:
Most of Gardenia is grasslands and farmlands. There are small mountains and small forests, but they are miniscule when compared to the flatlands. The land is perfect for building sturdy, stone buildings, large castles and farms. Mining is a weaker industry because the ground must be dug up quite a bit, and most of what is found will be clay and soft stone.

Politics:
Gardenia consists of many smaller provinces. The numbers of provinces and their sizes will be kept vague on the site because members are allowed to create characters that rule those provinces. But this means that no one can say their family leads the largest province or the wealthiest province, etc.

Each province belongs to a Duke or Duchess, a sort of king or queen of the region. They determine the laws, taxes and infrastructure of their reason. Sometimes for good and other times for bad.

Above the dukes and duchess is one family that sits on a throne in Greywall. There they lead the discussions that shape the country as a whole. They have the power of majority rule and establishing offices within the capital city giving them a lot of power.

The King and Queen of Gardenia is passed on by family. Anyone in the family can be next in line for the crown. Most of the dukes and duchesses of Gardenia are related, at least distantly, and so the next family to lead can be very different from the last. This creates a great incentive for them to threaten the lives of their own. Assassins and mercenaries frequent the castle as much as its staff.

Common Classes:
The most common classes in Gardenia are Knights, Clerics, Mercenaries, Explorers and Adventurers.

Historically, knights were born from a need to protect Gardenia’s royalty. Those who were once mere guards have studied magic to further bolster their strength.

While most of Ciredia has forgotten the planet’s origins, most of its inhabitants have their ideas of whence they came. The people of Gardenia are no different. Churches have spread throughout the land. In those churches individuals are taught to use God’s might to heal and to protect. Of course, there are other religions with other ideas.

Mercenaries, Explorers and Adventurers are frequent in Gardenia because they are all people trying to make something of their lives. After living in a society where the rich remain rich and the working class continues to work, they aim to break the boundary and become more than they are destined for.

The Noble Elves, skilled with magic as they are, have been training mage for years. This is best seen in Violetsage, a town filled with magic.

Common Professions:
Farming is a large part of Gardenia’s economy. Their fertile land is perfect for growing crops and raising livestock. With those livestock they can create textiles and other animal byproducts.

Medicine has become popular in Gardenia too. Wild plants can be used to heal dangerous diseases and debilitating illnesses. A lot of those plants can be found growing around the country.

Archeology and Treasure Hunting have also had a boon. The young human race has attempted to grasp their planet’s long history. Their curious nature has had them asking questions about themselves and those around them. While most humans are not fond of other races, they have no problem showing interest in their architecture, relics and cultures. Archeologists and treasure hunters see this as a way profit off of the rich nobles of Gardenia.

Places of Interest:
The capital city of Greywall is a hub for trade and travel. Some of the provinces also have similar castle cities that are a sight to see. Between these locations, Gardenia is described as a fairly uninteresting land. The landscape rarely changes. There are farms, fields, small trees, more fields, more farms, and it just keeps on coming.

Races and Species:
Gardenia’s population is mostly human. There are lesser races living in Gardenia, but they are mostly slaves or servants. There are also Wata, Kagani Elves, Sprites and Dwarven, but they are either adventurers or servants to the humans. The noble elves are not as populace as the humans, but their close ties with humanity have allowed them to attain noble positions. Full noble elves hold positions as treasurers, consultants, aides and more. Half elves born from relations between noble elves and royalty can have as much of a right to a duke or duchess position as any human.

Humans are like real world humans in color and size. They live between 60-70 years.

Noble elves are up to 6 inches taller than the average human and quite slender. They usually live between 100 - 250 years.

Site Updates:
If there are any major Gardenian updates, they will be placed here.
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