|
 |
|
|
|
Excerpts from “A Guide to The Slyvanaes Kingdom”
By Elvinya Diyaz
The Geography of the Kingdom
The Kingdom occupies a small group of Islands known locally as the Alpennecea. This island chain is made up of one large island and thirteen smaller isles as well. The topography of the islands varies widely from the more tropical mountainous western end of the chain to the more flat tropical islands of the eastern parts.
The big island, Couvettis, is extremely mountainous and only the western half of the island offering any form of direct accessibility. On the west side, farming tends to dominate as fully ¾ of the nation’s food supply is grown here in the rich and fertile soils of the Sylveimya Plains. In the east, trapping and hunting take the place of agriculture, as the mountains are full of wild beasts. This area also offers vast tropical forests that are currently under the protection of the Queen in order to assure preservation. The large lake in the center of the island offers some of the greatest fishing in AO and is fast becoming a haven for fishermen from around the region. Port Liechten to the south and Moharyya to the north are the two main ports for any vessels from abroad, and the main trade centers of the Sylvanaes Kingdom.
The small island on the extreme western end of the chain is know as Alpennecea itself. This island is fast becoming a tourist haven and attracts surfers and deep sea fishermen from abroad. Here, as in no other place in the nation, modern technology has gained a strong foothold.
In the center of the chain lies the islands that comprise the governmental and industrial centers of the nation. The low mountains here offer excellent mining operations and forestry products. Only two areas offer direct accessibility from the seas. One is the Capital city of WhiteHall and the other is the industrial center of Sabre. Most of the land here in these areas has been tamed for use by the population of the nation.
The western end of the island chain offers a series of smaller, flat tropical isles. Palm trees and palmettos dominate the foliage with hosts of tropical flowers also being found here. Most native populations call this area home. Native here describes the peoples inhabiting the land before the Kingdom was founded.
Only the island of Catark’ataka is different from the other western parts of the chain. Catark’ataka is the remnant of an extinct volcano. This is clearly evident upon visiting the island. This island is the main source of Royal Crab and Squid harvesting as well as a wide variety of other seafood.
Three islands in the center have been placed under Royal protection in order to preserve the native nesting grounds of many bird species, the Sylvanaes seal, and a large number of sea turtles, as well as the Koo’Pa’isia, a strange variety of tropical penguin.
The Governmant of the Sylvanaes Kingdom.
The Sylvanaes Kingdom is clearly a Matriarchy. This however is not necessarily in the complete context of the word. A panel of elected representatives, called the Royal Assembly, actually handles many of the mundane and integral workings of daily local government. The Royal Assembly is comprised of members of the Noble’s Parliament. The People’s Parliament, and the Trades Guild Conclave. These members are elected to the RA by other members of these houses of which all members were elected by the people they represent. This government type could be considered a predecessor to a more modern Constitutional Monarchy. But in all affairs the voice of the Queen is final.
Daily Life in The Sylvanaes Kingdom.
Most foreigners view the Sylvanaes Kingdom as lost in the antiquity of the Middle Ages. Technology has been slow to take hold here. The architecture and culture are decidedly backward to most of the world. Knights still ride horses. Duels are commonplace. The Feudal system still seems to dominate almost every aspect of daily life.
In the Capital city of WhiteHall, only one modern building has even been erected - Elanesse Tulcokelume, home of the Mystical Unicorns football squad. Most other areas are the same, with the distinct exception of Alpennecea. Castles dominate the landscape and most cities are still limited by the walls that surround them.
Roadways have now been constructed to connect the major cities of the nation. But these roads are dominated by horse and foot traffic. Automobiles have been slow to gain a foothold here. To connect cities on different islands, a massive ferry system has been put into action. Technology, here as well, is slow to catch up. Only two existing ferries are operated by modern engines. Seven more operate under steam power, but the majority rely on sail and oars for power.
The population of the Sylvanaes Kindom varies greatly. The vast majority of the nation is comprised of humans. Most people outside the nation know of no other inhabitants. But there are some remaining. A large Halfling population dominates the western islands and a large Elven population can be found on the island around Valetinne. Some other still remain as well. If on a hunting trip near Smerfton, be wary not to anger the local Ogre population. In the mountains east of Shantay, one can also see the traces of a Dwarven population that remains reclusive and mostly hostile to outsiders.
International Political Policy
The Sylvanaes Kingdom has remained neutral in most international matters. Some of this is due to the belief that each nation has the explicit right to govern itself. A larger factor would be an effort to keep itself out of harm’s way. Crossbows and Archers are no match for machine guns. Knights manage to have very little impact against tanks, and catapults are insignificant when compared to missiles. Also the Kingdom prides itself on the beauty and diversity of it’s landscape and scenery. The lack of major foreign influence has shown in the preservation efforts.
Below is a link to a map of the Sylvanaes Kingdom
The Sylvanaes Kingdom
This post has been edited by Dorian and Sonya on Apr 28 2006, 04:35 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
, |
 |
Track this topic
Receive email notification when a reply has been made to this topic and you are not active on the board.
Subscribe to this forum
Receive email notification when a new topic is posted in this forum and you are not active on the board.
Download / Print this Topic
Download this topic in different formats or view a printer friendly version.
[ Script Execution time: 0.0117 ] [ 13 queries used ] [ GZIP Enabled ]
|
Close Topic Options
