Politics & Powerful Organizations · Major Powers
Alvania
- Location
- The tropical south-east, beneath the Tuasivi Mountains
- Government
- A matriarchy
- Known For
- Body and garment decoration; a formidable navy
- Climate
- Warm enough that clothing is worn for decoration rather than protection
- Slavery
- Present
- Population
- About 17 million
Alvania occupies the tropical south-east of Aropria, beneath the Tuasivi Mountains and along the southern coast. It is a matriarchy, and its people are known across the continent for how they present themselves: the climate makes clothing unnecessary for warmth, so everything worn is worn as decoration. A small Alvanian town will support four or five clothing shops.
Defence
Alvania fields the most powerful navy on the continent. It keeps no large standing army in the conventional sense — but much of the population is armed and drilled against the Weeping Jungle, which on home ground amounts to the same thing.
Slavery
Present, alongside a genuinely diverse population.
In their own words
Geography
In the tropical region of the southeast corner of Aropria lays one of the most beautiful and idyllic landscapes I have ever seen. Tucked away beneath the Tuasivi Mountains and the southern coast, lies the picturesque country of Alvania.
Body and Garment Decoration
The splendor and majesty to this place comes not from massive structures or monuments, but from the beauty that each individual there seems to have about them. The people of Alvania have a truly unique way of presenting themselves. The warm climate foregoes the need to use clothing for protection, so everything the Alvanians wear is there purely as decoration. And my oh my, do they decorate. The blending of simplicity and elegance is something to behold.
It is common for a small Alvanian town to have 4 or 5 clothing shops and a good seamstress is worth their weight in gold. It is traditional for the clothes to be made of local material. Fibers from the coconut trees there seem to be particularly popular, and a silk-like cloth made from a rare grass is coveted by the wealthiest Alvanians. The seamstresses use rocks, flowers, bird feathers, and seashells to decorate their creations. Even the simplest piece of work clothing isn’t considered complete without a strand of stone beads as ornamentation.
Many people from the western nations find the Alvanian style off-putting. Some claim that the clothing is barbaric in nature, really I think that they are not used to beauty being so common. In most other parts of the continent, beauty and decoration are used to set the haves apart from the have nots. In Alvania, beauty is a way of life, as natural to them as eating.
Matriarchy
Looks are not the only way the Alvanians set themselves apart from other countries. Their society has a certain, somewhat subtle, but distinctly different defining characteristic. They are the only nation to be universally led by a woman. Indeed throughout Alvanian society, it seems women take leadership everywhere. Many governors, mayors, business owners and skilled crafters are women.
The Queen of Alvania, Alasriea IV, is rumored to be the most beautiful woman in all of Alvania. I say rumored, as she is almost never seen in public. Queen Alasriea rules from the palace city of Moata at the foot of the mountains, only a select few hand picked individuals live there and serve the queen. The actual seat of government, Taita, is at the mouth of the Bangle River. There the popular city holds the royal council that oversees daily government affairs on the Queen’s behalf. Only if the nation was in dire peril would Queen Alasriea leave the palace city.
Navy
Due to its physical location, it would be very easy for the other nations to forget about Alvania if not for one very important fact: the Alvanian Navy is by far the largest and most powerful of all the nations. If anyone wishes to do any trade by sea, they are going to have to be involved with one of the Alvanian shipping consortiums. Many years ago, Alvanian congruence users mastered taming the sea. Each Alvanian vessel has at least one congruence user, who can affect winds, waves, and some can even conjure great storms. Their Navy established routes through the north sea and down into the heart of the continent. This has made Alvania one of the wealthiest nations on the continent, and the envy of many of the other great countries.
Diversity and Slavery
The trade has brought great diversity to Alvania. It is not uncommon to see Alium and Ophidians milling about in the market. Even the slave trade has made it to these shores. The wealthier Alvanian houses boast many slave servants.
Alvania has risen from humble beginnings to a major player in only a few hundred years. It will be interesting to see what is in store for them in the future.